


The Lion and the Lamb

by Alovette



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, F/M, Gen, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-06 14:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12819930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alovette/pseuds/Alovette
Summary: Severely wounded in battle, pursued across dense forest by the Autobots, and unable to contact the Nemesis, Megatron finds himself at the mercy of the Universe......and one insufferable human child, who seems intent on helping the injured Decepticon warlord.





	1. The Wounded Lion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first piece submitted to AO3, and my first TFP fanfic--if a bit of a self-indulgent one--but primarily I wanted to explore what circumstances might realistically allow a human to enter the Decepticon fold. More importantly, what it might take for Megatron to warm up to a human partner. This may eventually evolve into a romance, but for now, it remains platonic.

 -----

The air was crisp and quiet. The only sound that reached his audio receptors was the ragged cycling of his intakes as he leaned heavily against a tree. He had only stopped for a brief moment to rest and recycle his waning energy.

Clawed digits scraped over his chassis as he pressed a hand over the gaping wound, energon leaking heavily from his injury. Optimus had landed a critical blow. A lucky shot! Yet one the Prime had quickly taken advantage of. Megatron was almost certain Optimus would have ended him there and then... had he not managed to escape.

He keyed up his comm and once again attempted to contact his ship. And, once again, he was met only with static. Megatron let out a low frustrated growl, silently cursing the Universe... and Starscream's treacherous spark.

The Seeker had seized command of his forces and ordered their retreat the moment Megatron had fallen, hoping the Autobots would finish him off. Oh, how wrong he was. The Decepticon warlord was going to enjoy beating that traitorous coward into scrap when he returned to the warship.

A savage smile stretched across his scarred faceplates at the thought and he heaved himself back to his feet with a groan from his actuators, a renewed vigor in his steps. He would survive this, as he always had. No one could fell the mighty Lord Megatron!

Not even Optimus Prime...

\-----

“Hm...” Ratchet knelt down to examine the underbrush as Optimus and the others looked on. There were signs of disturbance in the forest floor; loose soil and crushed vegetation. Clear signs that something large had come through the area, but it was the dark puddles of energon that had caught Ratchet's attention.

“What have you found, old friend?” Optimus inquired from behind the medic.

“Megatron was wounded in the battle..” Ratchet replied, scooping up a bit of the energon-soaked soil for closer inspection, “Severely wounded, in fact.. and judging by this energon trail, I'd say he went that way.”

“Good work, Ratchet. We cannot allow Megatron to escape and rejoin his army. We MUST find him.” Optimus declared grimly, moving to lead his team through the dense vegetation in pursuit of the wounded warlord.

\-----

Megatron tromped heavily through the undergrowth, stubbornly moving forward despite the waning strength in his struts. He was acutely aware of the steady loss of energon and what it meant for his survival if he did not get it repaired soon. But he would not be defeated so easily. This was not the first time he'd found himself on the brink of termination. The Pits of Kaon could not claim his spark and neither would this wretched planet! He was a survivor! He would find a way back to his ship, even if he had to draw on every last drop of energon he had left.

He pushed forward, clawing his way through the thick vegetation with a snarl, his heavy armor scraping against the tightly packed trees and leaving deep gouges in his wake... until the forest fell away abruptly into a narrow clearing just beyond the fenced backyard of a human residence.

Megatron stopped short and his strength faltered as he grasped at a tree for support. He drew back into the shadow of the forest, his intakes cycling rapidly as he struggled to remain upright. This sudden obstacle had caught him off-guard and he growled in annoyance.

It would seem he had stumbled upon a small human settlement. This was certainly a setback. In his current condition, it was unwise to engage with the natives. While, normally, they wouldn't have posed a threat to him, there was too much risk of attracting unwanted attention.

He staggered back into the forest, grasping the trees for support as he held a clawed hand over the leaking wound in his chassis. His actuators whirred and whined under the strain of his own weight, his strength draining as quickly as his spilled energon.

He limped further into the cover of the trees, far enough from the human residence as he could manage, before he allowed himself to collapse against the trunk of a larger tree. He cycled his intakes deeply, pulling crisp, cold mountain air into his chassis to cool his strained actuators and regain his strength.

His strength... which was rapidly dwindling with each liter of energon he lost. He needed to plug the leak... or he wouldn't make it another solar cycle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly introductory. Next chapter you get to meet the "Lamb" counterpart to Megatron's "Lion". I hope you like her even half as much as I do.


	2. The Little Lamb

 -----

Life was quiet in the small mountain town of Pinedale, Colorado... and rather dull. But the Rocky Mountains and surrounding forest were always beautiful this time of year. The way the summer sunlight filtered through the treetops and made the forest seem so warm and peaceful. It was perfect... and her favorite place to spend time on a warm summer afternoon like this.

Aurora was your typical small-town teenage girl; well-behaved, if a bit on the adventurous side, and she got decent grades in school. She also had a few local friends, but during the summer she usually spent most of her time alone. Not that she minded. Aurora loved being alone, especially while she was out in the woods, riding the mountain trails on her bike.

It was here, deep in the forest, where she felt most alive. The peaceful quiet... and the thrill of speeding down rough-hewn trails... that was what it was all about. Not to mention, the wonders of nature to be found in the wilds of the Rockies. And it was here in the forest, racing down a rough trail, that she found something most unusual.

The thick rubber tires of her mountain bike skidded through the dirt and leaf-litter as she came to a stop at the edge of the trail. A glint of sunlight, reflecting off of something... metallic... somewhere between the trees further down, had caught her attention.

Dismounting the bike, Aurora slowly walked it down the rest of the trail toward the shiny metal... thing. As she moved closer, the object became clearer, as though materializing out of the shadows of the trees. It became apparent that the metal object was quite large, propped up against the trunk of a huge old oak. She set down her bike as she approached the object behind the tree, picking her way around the massive roots to get a closer look.

As she moved around the trunk of the tree, the metal object came into full view... and she let out a startled shriek!

It was a giant... METAL.. MAN!

Or... that's what it looked like at first. But it was far from anything human... in fact, it looked downright ALIEN!

After a moment or two of terrified shock, her heartbeat began to slow and she dared to take a step closer. The... thing didn't seem to be... active, whatever it was. It sat hunched up against the tree, silent and unmoving. She took another step, curiosity taking over.

Moving closer, she could see now just how massive this thing was; just sitting down it loomed well over ten feet above her head. If it were standing... She estimated it would be close to thirty feet tall!

Curiosity tugged at her adventurous spirit, begging her to get a closer look. She obliged eagerly, taking the lack of movement from the thing as a sign that it was safe. She wondered if maybe it was some sort of... lost statue... or maybe a military robot... or something else.

What could it possibly be? And why was it out here?

Aurora climbed up onto one of the thing's giant metal legs, pulling herself up to its massive broad chest. Now, she could see that it was damaged; a thick, viscous purple fluid was leaking out of a smoldering hole in its metal shell.

"Huh.."

Well, that ruled out 'metal statue' as a possible explanation for what this thing was. That just left 'robot'... And 'something else' as possibilities.

"Maybe, it IS a military thing... and it got shot down?" she mused softly to herself, lifting her eyes to the sky in wonder… but she wasn't able to dwell on the thought for very long, as the whole thing shifted under her with a deep, rumbling groan.

\-----

Megatron wasn't sure when he'd slipped into power-down... or for how long... but something had drawn him back to consciousness. He let out a deep groan, flushing the air from his heated intakes and pulling in fresh cool air to replace it as his crimson optics flickered back online.

His head felt foggy, his internal sensors dulled by the lack of energon. Which was why it took a few moments for him to register the lifeform being jostled off his chassis by his awakening. The tiny shriek of the creature as it toppled to the ground reached his audio receptors a moment later.

Red, flickering optics widened as he quickly regained lucidity and he lurched forward upon registering the human's presence. Pulling himself up onto his struts, he turned on the human with a vicious snarl and the puny creature scrambled backwards through the dirt.

"I'M SORRY!! I'M SORRY!! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!" the human shrieked, at both a frequency and decibel that rattled his audio receptors, painfully.

Megatron winced at the sound as it vibrated through his processor and growled, raising a massive foot to stomp the irritating creature into a red paste.

Aurora screamed again, panic racing through her body as she crossed her arms in front of her and curled up her legs, just as the metal monster's two massive toes crashed into the soft earth on either side of her, sending tremors deep into the ground and through her body.

An eerie silence followed; her own panicked breaths the only sound. She panted and let out a soft whimper as she uncurled slightly to see what had happened.

Megatron glared down at the human and let out a heavy intake. His struts released a shrill metallic whine as his actuators suddenly gave out and he dropped onto one knee joint, an arm lurching forward to steady him. He groaned, pressing his free hand over the wound in his chassis.

Clearly, his injury had worsened, his strength all but consumed by that last violent outburst. And on top of that, he'd missed crushing the noisy human.

Aurora peered up at the metal monster as it trembled in... pain? Could a machine even FEEL pain? By the way it seemed to gasp and groan and... breathe... it almost seemed alive. A living ROBOT? This was unreal... no way was this thing actually ALIVE!

She sat up, the movement catching its eye as it looked back down at her, its face twisting into a snarl. She blinked up at it... at him. Fear was a distant memory now as awe and curiosity moved in to replace it.

"You're... hurt?" she spoke hesitantly, her words less of a question and more expressing her uncertainty of the choice of wording.

"N-No...!" Megatron growled between gritted teeth, furious at the human for witnessing this moment of weakness and pointing out his pain. He groaned and forced his trembling frame back to his feet, giving the human a sneer as he struggled to steady himself.

"You are..!"

She sounded surprised as she got up as well, amazed at this LIVING metal creature that could FEEL PAIN!!

"It's none of your concern!" Megatron hissed, refusing to let this human make him feel weak and pitiful. He sneered at her and turned to leave.

"W-wait! You're HURT!" she called after him, racing to catch up with his lumbering steps. "M-maybe, I can help you..!"

"I don't want your PITY, human!" Megatron snapped, refusing to stop.

"Wha--pity?! It's called 'compassion', dude!!" Aurora called back, running ahead to get in front of the giant robot, "Look, you can barely stand! And you're... LEAKING, for Pete’s sake!” she snapped, then her voice dropped to a soft and gentle tone, “Please... let me help.."

Megatron glared down at her, tempted to swat her away like the insect she was to him... but she was right. Infuriatingly, so. Even now he could feel his strength fading; every moment was a struggle to remain upright. He'd lost far too much energon. As much as he hated to admit it... he wouldn't survive without help. Immediately.

"Very well.." he sighed reluctantly, and carefully lowered himself to the ground, half collapsing with a heavy thump.

Aurora approached slowly, caution creeping back into her mind. This thing had already tried to stomp on her once... and he still looked rather dangerous, even in his weakened state.

"So, uh... what should I do..?" she asked, carefully.

"As you so astutely noted, I'm... 'leaking'.." Megatron rumbled, snidely, "So, you'll need to stop the leak."

"R-right.."

Aurora looked around awkwardly, feeling his judgmental red eyes glaring at her as she fumbled around. What could she use to fix a leak in a giant living robot? She started checking her pockets and pulled out an old bandana.

"Uh.. will this work?" she asked, offering up the cloth square.

Megatron frowned, but removed his hand from the wound and ushered her over.

"Find the leak... but be careful where you put those fleshy digits, human." Megatron rumbled, "Or you might lose them.."

Aurora nodded meekly, "R-right.."

She stepped closer, feeling Megatron's gaze following her as he leaned back, exposing the wound.

The hole was massive to her, practically big enough to crawl inside. Which she hoped wouldn't be necessary as she carefully reached in to find the source of the leak. Thick, warm fluid gushed over her hands as she felt around. His insides were a jumble of thick tubes and wiring--which sparked and crackled dangerously--with jagged metal edges exposed where his plating had been ripped open.

Megatron winced, biting back a disgusted groan as the human plunged her filthy little hands into his chassis. As unpleasant as this was, it was necessary, he reminded himself. And as soon as the human had done her job, he'd be rid of her. One way or another.

Aurora groped deeper into the tangled mess, feeling around blindly until she felt the source of the gushing fluid. A thick length of tubing, as thick as her arm, had been ripped open, the warm fluid flowing steadily from the opening.

"Found it!" she chirped proudly, and pulled an arm out of the mess to grab the bandana from her pocket, "Okay, now just.. hold still.." With her other hand on the leaky tube, she pulled, tugging it closer to the opening of the wound so she could see it.

Megatron snarled in pain, his chassis spasming as she tugged on his insides. Claws dug into the earth beneath him to keep from tearing into the human's flesh in retaliation. He still needed her.. at least until she stopped the leak. Though he wasn't going to forget this agony she'd inflicted.

"Sorry!" Aurora squeaked, and she quickly released the tubing. Though it was close enough now to see and she quickly twisted the cloth bandana into a long strip and tied it tightly around the torn tube. That seemed to do the trick... and it was holding. For now.

Megatron cycled his intakes deeply, gritting his teeth against the lingering pain, but he could already feel his energon pressure stabilizing and rising back to a sustainable level. It would hold for now and gave him the time he needed to get back to the warship, where he could receive proper medical treatment.

"Did it work? How do you feel?"

The girl looked up at him, wiping her energon-stained hands on her pants. His mouth curled into a faint sneer and he shifted to get up, thick claws curling around her soft body as he pulled her away from his chassis.

"Better.." he growled and tightened his grip, squeezing the human girl.

Aurora squeaked as the air was crushed from lungs, grasping at the metal fingers around her in panic.

"S-sto-op..." she wheezed, feeling her ribcage cracking under the pressure. And to her surprise... he did stop. The pressure released and she gasped in a whistling breath as she was suddenly and unceremoniously dropped to the ground.

"Consider that your only warning.." Megatron growled, pushing himself back to his feet.

Aurora coughed and gasped, trying to fill her abused lungs. "Wh-what did I.. do.. wrong..?" she wheezed, peering up at the giant robot with confusion and quiet fear.

Megatron simply growled, turning and limping away from her, a hand once again pressed protectively over the wound.

"W-wait..!” she called after him hoarsely, pushing herself up to follow with an arm wrapped around her bruised ribs. “A-are mad because I-- ...I-I didn't mean to HURT you..! Please! A-At least tell me who--or WHAT--you are! Where did you come from? H-how did you get hurt?" she asked, racing up beside him again.

Megatron looked down at the small human with a grumble of annoyance, but he lacked the energy to lash out again.

"Do you have a name?" she smiled up at him sweetly, as though she had completely forgotten--or forgiven--almost being crushed to death. Twice.

"......You're not very bright, are you.." Megatron noted wearily.

The girl just smirked back at him, "Hey, I'm smarter than I look, pal. I live in the Rockies, so I know how dangerous a wounded animal can be if they feel threatened. But, I'm not a threat... and you're not a wild animal... right?"


	3. Making a New Friend?

\-----

Megatron rumbled softly, weighing his options concerning the human. It would be a waste of energon trying to squash the little pest, considering how low his reserves were now, but he wasn't exactly eager to endure the human's incessant noise... and she seemed determined to follow him until her curiosity was satisfied.

He sighed heavily and finally responded to her earlier question, "...Megatron. My name is Megatron."

"Megatron?" the girl repeated, dubiously, "... That's a cool name. My name's Aurora. Like the Northern Lights... But my friends just call me 'Rory. You can too if you want."

Megatron simply rumbled in response, not particularly interested in knowing the human's name or what her friends preferred to call her. He kept moving forward, hoping the girl would grow bored and eventually leave.

But Aurora kept following him, even as a tense silence fell between them. She was intrigued by this strange giant robot, despite his dangerous demeanor and apparent lack of regard for her safety. He was fascinating; all spikes and sharp edges, yet so... vulnerable as he limped along, grunting and groaning in pain.

After a few minutes of quietly watching and following him, she finally spoke up again.

"So... where are you going?" she asked, softly.

Megatron's steps faltered, almost startled by her voice. He had forgotten she was still there.

"...Back to my ship." he replied, vaguely.

Aurora stopped dead in awed shock, "Whoa-whoa, back up! Your SHIP?! As in SPACESHIP?! ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU’RE A FRICKIN’ ALIEN?!"

Megatron winced as the girl's voice went loud and shrill, and groaned, "Indeed.."

"So, you're a giant ALIEN robot?! That's SO COOL!!" she rushed up beside him again, excited and burning with even more questions.

Megatron groaned inwardly, regretting having answered her and subsequently piquing her curiosity again.

"So, where are you from? Are there more giant robots like you? Who made you?"

The girl's rapid-fire questioning reminded him of the Autobots' human pet... Miko, was it? But that last question grated his neural net and he turned with a growl.

"NO ONE MADE ME!" he snarled at her, insulted by her presumption. He was no one's creation! Primus be damned!

The girl looked surprised at his outburst, but backed off with her hands raised defensively.

"Whoa... sorry... I-I didn't mean to offend you.. but, if no one made you... then where did you come from?" she asked, carefully.

Megatron grit his teeth, but his anger was already fading and he sighed irritably, "Like all lifeforms, I was not MADE, but rather, I was BORN." he answered, "I am not simply a machine... but a living sentient being."

"Oh..." the girl replied dumbly, as though the concept had never even occurred to her.

"As for WHERE I am from... that would be the planet we call Cybertron. Though I don't expect that to mean much to YOU." Megatron continued, sneering as he moved forward again. "And yes, there are more of us... many more." he added ominously.

Aurora blinked slowly at this revelation, hesitating before moving to follow him again.

"S-so... why are you on Earth?" she inquired gently.

Megatron growled, growing tired of her endless questions, but it seemed clear she wasn't going to leave him alone anytime soon.

"That... is a very long story..." he sighed, not particularly eager to go into detail about it.

“I’d… like to hear it.. if you don't mind telling me.” she requested, carefully, not wanting to upset him again. It seemed to drain him quite easily.

Megatron glanced back at the girl, pausing for a moment to rest and consider her request. While the constant questions were rather tiresome, everything seemed to exhaust him at this point. However, he had to admit... having someone to talk to in this dire situation was... almost comforting.

“..Well... to put it simply, the answer is; War.” he replied.

“War?” Aurora echoed, her tone clearly asking for clarification.

“A civil war, to be more precise, between two opposing factions of Cybertronians; the Decepticons and the Autobots.” Megatron explained as he pushed himself to move forward again, “One side had risen up to oppose a corrupt system and bring peace and freedom to the oppressed! The other.. sided with those in power to crush the rebellion. Fierce battles were fought, with many casualties on both sides…”

Megatron paused to cycle his intakes, straining against the ever-growing weakness in his limbs and pressed on.

“The War for Cybertron raged on for thousands of cycles… perhaps millions of your Earth years… until Cybertron itself became a casualty of war. As the battle for our dying planet became more desperate, both sides began hiding resources off-world on distant planets... such as Earth.”

Aurora, who had been listening intently, finally spoke up, “Wow… so you guys have been to Earth before?”

“Indeed.. though, much of it occurred long before your species dominated the planet.” Megatron explained, “Now, with Cybertron a dead world… we have no home to return to, and the last remaining sources of energon exist only on planets such as Earth.”

“Wait... what’s energon?” Aurora had been following the story up until that point, but he’d lost her there.

Megatron paused, looking back at her, “Only the most important substance known to any Cybertronian. It is what drives us, what fuels us. It is our very lifeblood! Energon flows through our bodies and without it, we would cease to function!”

“Wait.. you mean that stuff you were leaking was--”

“Precisely..” Megatron rumbled, grimly, dropping his gaze to the wound in his chassis… which still ached, dimly.

Aurora was quiet, for once, now realizing just how badly this giant alien robot was injured. He had literally been bleeding out! She looked up at him, pressing a sympathetic hand against his massive leg, and asked worriedly, “Will you be okay..?”

Megatron’s spark fluttered strangely as he stared down at the girl, who seemed to genuinely care about his well-being, in spite of his disregard for her. Somewhere during this brief encounter, she had decided he was worthy of her concern.

He was uncertain how to feel about this display of compassion. There were few, if any, who seemed concerned with his well-being out of anything other than fear or self-interest, and fewer still, out of loyalty or kindness or... love.

“I-- I’ll be fine.. as long as I can reach my ship...” Megatron responded, hating how shaken his voice sounded. He moved forward again, pushing the strange feeling to the back of his mind as he focused on staying alive.

He needed to contact the warship if he was to have any hope of survival. Every second left him weaker, and he was already too weak and wounded to transform and take flight… assuming his t-cog hadn't been damaged as well.

“Soundwave, respond..!” he hissed into his comm, grinding his teeth at the harsh static that answered. Something was interfering with the signal.

“Is something wrong?” Aurora saw the change in his demeanor and heard him hiss something under his breath.

Megatron glanced back down at her, leaning heavily against a tree for support, and sighed, “I’m unable to contact my ship. There’s too much interference..”

“Oh... yeah, that seems to happen a lot out here. I usually can’t get a signal on my phone, either.” she said, and pulled out the device to check, “Yeah... see? No bars. Must be some kind of dead zone. I heard there’s a lot of, like, iron or something in the ground. Messes with electronic signals... radios... stuff like that.”

“Mm... I see..” Megatron rumbled in response.

“But... I can get a signal in town. So, maybe if we get closer... you'll be able to get through to your ship?” the girl offered with a shrug.

“Mm... unfortunately, that isn't an option. If I were to be spotted by... others of your kind... the results might be disastrous.” Megatron sighed.

“Oh, yeah. Giant robot. People screaming. Didn't think about that…” she crossed her arms in thought and chewed on her lip, “Then again... the south side of town is pretty much abandoned. It’s mostly a lot of industrial places that were left behind when the companies went out of business. I think it would be pretty safe there..”

Megatron considered the offer. It was risky... but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice. Contacting his ship was an absolute priority.

“Very well... lead the way.” he waved a hand with a mocking bow, allowing her to walk ahead of him.

“Uh.. okay. Follow me.” Aurora trotted forward, changing direction and leading the way down the slope toward the tiny mountain town she called home.


	4. A Matter of Survival

\-----

The sound of an engine cut through the stillness as a small blue motorcycle burst through the underbrush. Pistons revved and thick tires locked as she skidded to a stop at the base of a giant oak. Metal plates shifted and unfolded as Arcee transformed back into ‘bot mode and stood up, pressing a thin digit to her comm unit.

“Hey, guys... I think I've found something.” she said, circling the base of the tree, taking note of the energon puddles in the dirt, “About two klicks south of your position. Looks like Megatron might have stopped here for a while. He may still be in the area.”

Static crackled in response before a voice cut through the interference. “Understood, Arcee. We’re on our way.” Optimus responded.

A moment later, the crackling green energy of the ground-bridge opened and the rest of the team stepped through.

“So, what do you think, Optimus? We catching up with him?” Arcee asked, crossing her arms.

“Hm... Dark energon. This is indeed Megatron’s.” Ratchet interjected, examining the energon puddles. “And it’s fresh... He can’t have gone very far.”

“It would seem so, Arcee. Good work.” Optimus nodded, and turned to the rest of the team, “Autobots, spread out. We must reacquire Megatron’s trail.”

The ‘bots split up to search the area, scouring the underbrush for signs of disturbance, or any indication of which direction the Decepticon warlord had gone.

Ratchet sidled up to Optimus as the others searched, and looked up at the Autobot leader grimly. “Optimus... I know you and Megatron have a lot of history, but...” he paused and shook his head.

“What is it, Ratchet?” Optimus pressed, concerned by his old friend’s tone.

Ratchet sighed, and continued, “Optimus... at the rate Megatron is losing energon... he may succumb to his wounds sooner than we thought. It.. may not be possible to take him alive.”

Optimus frowned, his expression hardening, becoming unreadable as he processed this news. It was the least desirable outcome, but the most likeliest. He nodded to the medic, “I understand, Ratchet. Thank you.”

Somewhere up the slope, came Bumblebee’s distinctive electronic bleeps as he called out for the others’ attention. He’d found something. Holding up a small purple mountain bike, he chirped urgently.

A human had been here.

The Autobots regrouped as ‘Bee brought the bike back down to the others, showing it to Optimus.

“Where did you find this, Bumblebee?” Optimus inquired.

The little yellow scout beeped and buzzed eagerly, pointing back up the hill to a nature trail further up the slope.

If a human had stumbled upon the injured Decepticon leader... It was a dangerous complication. While there was no evidence the human had been harmed, it was entirely possible Megatron had taken them hostage. Or it could simply be a coincidence. They had no way of knowing for certain.

“Guys!” Bulkhead called out, interrupting the group meeting, and pointed to a line of trees, all of which bore deep gouges. “Ya think he went this way?”

Optimus sighed internally and nodded. Human or no human, they had to resume the hunt. Megatron was out there... And whether or not he had a hostage, he was most certainly dying... and Optimus could not allow such an outcome without doing everything in his power to prevent it. This was not the way he wanted to end the war.

“Autobots… roll out!”

\-----

“Hold up!”

Aurora held up a hand as she hissed the order, causing her massive companion to stumble to an awkward halt and grasp at the trees for support. He grumbled softly in annoyance.

“We're close now. I'm gonna scout ahead. Make sure it's clear.” she said, sliding down the slope and trotting off ahead.

She scurried through the brush and finally came to the edge of the treeline, where the forest gave way to a grassy slope that ended at the edge of a paved road.

The edge of south Pinedale, the industrial sector. All but abandoned after the town’s mining industry collapsed nearly a decade ago. In fact, most of Pinedale was nearly abandoned. A large portion of the town’s population had been live-in workers and miners, nearly all of whom had packed up and left after the collapse. All that remained were the few suburban families and non-industrial business owners.

Once a thriving small town of 1,000+, it had dwindled to less than 200 in a matter of months. But it wasn't all bad. While they no longer had the revenue of the mines, the town had easily shifted focus to tourism. With the mines closed, the area’s natural beauty began to thrive again. In the summers, tourists would flow in and the town’s population would grow with their temporary guests.

Of course, it was still early in the season. So, most of the town was still quite empty, but soon it would be bustling!

Aurora preferred this pre-season peace, before the throngs of seasonal strangers arrived. It was like she had the summer tranquility all to herself.

Though, of course, even in the bustling tourist season, the south end of town remained empty and abandoned. And with good reason. It was ugly. Empty, rusted out shells of factories and warehouses were everywhere. The remnants of the town's mining past and industrial peak, now forgotten and fallen into decay.

And as she had predicted, completely devoid of people.

As she surveyed the empty street again--just to be sure--she turned back to the trees and called out to her lumbering metal companion.

“Coast is clear! It's safe to come out!”

She waved for him to join her and pointed to one of the nearer buildings across the street, “We can hide out in there.”

Megatron thumped his way through the trees, emerging cautiously from their protective shade, and surveyed the open street for himself.

It was just as she promised. Empty.

No sign of other fleshlings in sight. Nor did it appear that anyone had frequented the area in some time.

“See? It’s safe.” the girl chirped, reassuringly, “But I'm sure you'd feel a lot safer inside. Come on! We’re going over there.”

She pointed out the building again; a medium-sized structure with large garage doors. Likely, a former auto-shop or service station. She gestured for him to follow her as she trotted off across the road.

Megatron grumbled and begrudgingly followed, checking his surroundings warily. He didn't allow himself to relax until well after the girl had ushered him through a half-opened garage door, which he’d had to force open further. While the doors were quite large, he was still forced to crouch to enter the building. The interior was just as expected; dirty and decayed. Abandoned human structures had the worst tendency to attract the most vile filth! Dirt and refuse somehow always managed to find their way indoors to mingle with the rot and rust, and organic detritus.

It was disgusting!

And yet, he was left little choice but to endure it. Moving further into the structure, he settled against a support beam, lowering himself onto the floor to sit and rest, and regain some of his strength. Somewhere along the way on their short journey, he had begun to leak again. The girl’s temporary fix had failed, though she had yet to notice.

As Megatron made himself comfortable, Aurora had gone off to explore the half-empty building, digging through long abandoned desks, cabinets, and tool-chests, and whatever else had been left behind. While the human occupied her curiosity with something other than himself, Megatron moved his hand to re-examine the wound in his chassis and the fresh flow of energon.

His low groan of discomfort caught the girl’s attention and she immediately abandoned her exploration to rush back to his side.

“Hey... are you okay? Does it still hurt-- Ah!” she gasped softly, “You're bleeding, again!”

Megatron instinctively covered the wound when she reached out and grunted in annoyance at her mollycoddling.

“I’m fine..!” he growled, though he knew he wasn't.

Aurora frowned at him but backed off, crossing her arms disapprovingly.

“Are you always this stubborn about accepting help?” she asked bitterly, “You're bleeding again and you need my help. So, let me help! Unless you WANT to die here.”

Megatron grumbled in response, but reluctantly conceded. The human could be just as stubborn to help as he was to refuse it. Yet, he needed her help if he wanted to survive. A dilemma he was finding harder to avoid. He allowed the girl to examine the wound, which she did.

“Hm... looks like the bandana came loose.” she commented, “Hold on! I think I saw some duct tape around here somewhere.”

Aurora hopped down and rushed back to the mess of desks and furniture, yanking open drawers, until she let out a triumphant yell.

“Aha! Found it!”

Racing back, she climbed up onto the disgruntled Decepticon leader's chassis and tore a length of duct tape from the roll with an awful ripping sound.

“Alright, this might get a little messy..” she warned, sliding the roll onto her wrist and reaching into the opening once again to find the damaged tube. She felt the bandana and carefully untied it, letting loose a torrent of that thick purple fluid, and began wrapping the length of duct tape around the tube. It was indeed messy and difficult, but once she'd wound the strip around the tear, she pulled more duct tape from the roll and wound a second layer around the tube, securing the first in place and creating a much tighter seal.

Satisfied with her work, she sat back and smiled proudly, “Duct tape. Best thing we humans ever invented.” she giggled.

However, Megatron was far from amused. He was growing tired of having to rely on this insufferable human child. It made him feel weak to be so dependant on such an inferior species.

And yet... this human child was... ‘growing’ on him.

She was stubborn, yes, which could be rather irritating, but she was also a curious young mind, so intuitive and inventive. And of course, her compassion. Not a trait the Decepticons valued very highly, but one he was appreciating more and more. Especially in regards to himself. Everything she had done for him thus far had been borne solely from her compassion.. and perhaps a bit of her curiosity.

So, it was odd that he found himself despising the human less and less. Twice now, she had insisted on helping him, tending to his worsening injury. He had little doubt now that her efforts were the only thing keeping him alive. It was possible that he would've terminated hours ago if not for her intervention.

She had quite possibly saved his life.

Megatron was never one to entrust his life to another, not even the Decepticon medic, nor would he usually consider himself in debt to anyone. He took what he wanted and only gave back what HE deemed fit. But in this case... it seemed appropriate to repay a life with a life. He would spare the human girl and let her go once he was rescued.

“Feeling better?” the girl asked, disturbing him from his thoughts.

He nodded, “Better..”

“Good. Cuz, I really need to wash this stuff off. Think this place still has running water?” she asked, climbing down from his chassis.

“Doubtful.” he rumbled in reply, even as she walked away.

“Well, doesn't hurt to check. I'm gonna go find a sink or something.” she shrugged, wandering off deeper into the building.

Megatron rolled his optics and simply settled back against the wall, thankful for a few moments of peace from the human. In the quiet, he recalled the reason for this risky detour and accessed his comm, pinging his ship once again.

“Soundwave, come in...”

\-----

Bumblebee was scouting ahead of the others, following Megatron’s trail in the underbrush, when he stopped and beeped urgently to the rest of the team. They all gathered to see what the young scout had found.

Arcee stepped up beside him and nodded as he beeped, “Bee’s right. Megatron turned here.. and look, more energon. He’s leaking again.” She pointed to the fresh energon trail leading down the sloping mountainside.

Bee chirped and buzzed worriedly; Megatron’s sudden change of course was strange, considering what lay in that direction.

A small town, full of humans.

Optimus laid a gentle hand on the scout’s shoulder, “You are right to be concerned, Bumblebee. But we are close now.”

“Hm, it is unusual..” Ratchet agreed, “But it may be possible Megatron is delirious from the energon loss. He may not even be aware of where he is going.”

“Well, yeah… but we can't let Megatron near humans.” Bulkhead added, “No matter how weak or confused he is. Right, guys?”

“Which is why we must hurry.” Optimus responded, “Before he can hurt anyone.”

\-----

Static crackled in his audio receptors and Megatron growled in frustration, pinging the ship again. “Nemesis, respond! Someone, answer me!” he snarled, “This is--”

“--Lord Megatron?” the Vehicon’s voice cut suddenly through the static. “You’re alive?”

“OF COURSE, I'm alive!” Megatron snapped, “Now, inform our dear medic that I require his services and open a ground-bridge, immediately!”

“Yes, Lord Megatro--kshsh..” The signal cut out into static once more and he was soon met with the sound of weapons powering up.

There, in the opening of one garage door, stood all five of the Autobots, weapons drawn and aimed squarely at him.

“Megatron..” came Optimus Prime’s voice as he moved to the front of the group, “Surrender peacefully and we can end this now, without any further violence.”

“Surrender?” Megatron echoed with a chuckle, and shifted to stand, “Do you take me for a fool, Optimus? Why would I surrender.. when I can still fight!” he growled, blade unsheathing as he shifted into a battle-ready posture and charged at the Autobots.

Optimus met the attack with his own blade, as the others opened fire. Five against one was hardly fair, and Optimus ordered the others to stand down as he deflected another blow from Megatron’s blade.

As the two of them fought, Megatron could feel that Optimus was holding back and he used it to his advantage. The Decepticon warlord may have been weakened by his injury, but it did not dampen his ferocity!

He charged at Optimus again, swinging his blade hard, and followed it with a left hook that caught the Prime off-guard. Optimus reeled back, dazed, and Megatron moved in to topple him. But the Prime was faster, recovering enough to catch Megatron's attack, and threw him across the room.

Megatron hit the far wall with a pained grunt and crumpled to the floor. It would seem his opponent was no longer pulling his punches or holding back and his own condition was quickly deteriorating. Optimus now had the advantage. Yet, fate chose to intervene in that moment, as the human girl charged into the fray.

“Hey! What the hell is going on out he--?!”

He lunged forward, snatching the girl up before she could finish, and held her in a tight fist. The Autobots charged their weapons once more and Megatron grinned smugly at the sound.

“Ah-ah... Let’s not be reckless, now..” he chuckled, “You don't want to test me. Now lower your weapons.. Or..” he squeezed Aurora gently, just enough to draw a squeak from her tiny lungs.

The Autobots shared a look with each other. Optimus nodded to them and withdrew his weapons.

“Stand down..” he ordered his team, which they did, reluctantly. “Megatron, release the human.. and we will let you go.” This sparked a flurry of protest from the other Autobots, which the Prime quickly silenced.

Megatron chuckled darkly, “And what guarantee do I have.. that you would let me leave, Optimus?”

“I give you my word.”

“Your word? Really? No.. I think I'll take her with me. And if any of your Autobots try to follow me... well... “ he tightened his fist again. It was enough to get his point across and he limped toward the nearest exit as the Autobots watched helplessly.

“It would seem our battle must be cut short, Optimus. A shame.. but I shall enjoy our next meeting.” And with that, Megatron ducked out the closest opening.

“Optimus, we can't just let him go!” Arcee protested again. Bumblebee beeped and buzzed in agreement.

“Yeah, Optimus!” Bulkhead agreed, “I mean, sure, he's got a hostage, but we can't let him just take her! What if that had been Miko?”

“I understand your concerns, but we couldn't risk the human being harmed.” Optimus responded.

“Yeah, but... we’re going after him, aren't we?” Bulkhead asked, and the others nodded in agreement.

“Optimus, with all due respect, they’re right.” Ratchet interjected, “We can't leave that girl in Megatron’s hands.”

“We have to rescue her, Optimus.” Arcee agreed.

The Prime sighed and conceded. “Very well.. Autobots, roll out.”

\-----

Megatron limped back toward the cover of the forest, Aurora clutched tightly in one hand.. And the other pressed firmly over the wound in his chest. The fight with Optimus had left him weaker than ever. He knew he couldn't take on the Autobot again in his current, declining condition. He pinged the warship again.

“Megatron?” The voice he heard did not come from the ship, but rather the girl struggling in his grip.

“Were you really going to squish me?” she asked in a small, fearful voice. He loosened his grip and gave the girl a firm look, but he didn't respond immediately.

“.....No.” Megatron answered, and his expression softened a bit. “Did I... hurt you?” he asked in a careful tone.

“A little..” she answered, honestly, “But I'm okay..”

“Good..”

The ghost of a smile flitted briefly across his faceplates, before the accelerating hum of an engine burst through the silence and a flying blue motorcycle plowed into the back of Megatron’s head. The blow sent him reeling and he stumbled, falling to the forest floor. The girl tumbled from his loose grip, only to be snatched up by far more delicate metal fingers.

“I got her!” Arcee called to the others, landing gracefully, and carrying the squirming human away from the Decepticon warlord and the ensuing battle.

Megatron was not as quick to recover from the surprise attack as he would have liked, but he managed to right himself all the same and shifted into a battle posture as the other Autobots swarmed him. Unsheathing his blade, he charged at them with a roar, dispersing the ‘bots as he moved in on his primary target: Optimus Prime!

Their blades met with a shrill clash of sharpened metal, slashing and scraping at each other’s armor. Megatron’s anger had given him a burst of renewed strength, but it was all too short-lived. Optimus soon gained the upperhand, and Megatron was put on the defensive.

Elsewhere, Arcee raced to put some space between them and the fierce battle going on between the two leaders, but she was finding it difficult to hold onto the squirming girl.

“Put me down! Stop! Let go!” she shrieked, kicking and writhing in the smaller ‘bot’s grip.

“H-Hey! It’s okay! I’m not going to hurt you!” Arcee tried to soothe the human, but the girl was having none of it.

The other Autobots soon joined Arcee as Optimus continued to battle with the wounded Megatron. However, Arcee was quickly losing her patience with the squirming human and passed her off to Bumblebee, who always seemed to have better luck relating to the human children than the rest of them.

“Here! You try to calm her down.” Arcee huffed. Bumblebee buzzed in surprise and fumbled the girl as she was shoved into his larger hands.

“Hey! I am NOT a hot potato to be passed around, you jerks!” Aurora snapped.

‘Bee chirped and buzzed in reply, trying to hold onto the girl without hurting her. Which wasn't easy when she was squirming so much!

“Put me down, you stupid Furby!” she screeched, and kicked at ‘Bee’s chassis.

The poor yellow scout was so confused by the human’s behavior, and tried to pass her along to someone else. He beeped pleadingly at Bulkhead.

“Uh-uh! No way, ‘Bee! She’s your problem, pal.” Bulkhead replied, refusing to take the girl, “Seriously, she’s worse than Miko!”

Bumblebee suddenly buzzed in alarm when the human slipped from his digits and began climbing up his arm and over his shoulder, like a spider! He beeped and buzzed and spun around, trying to reach behind to grab her as she climbed down his back between his door-wings.

Bulkhead rushed to help. “Whoa! Hey! Hold still, ‘Bee! I got--Whoops!”

The girl dropped to the ground between the two big ‘bots and darted past their legs... straight towards the ongoing battle.

“Uh-oh..”

\-----

Megatron deflected another blow from the Prime, his intakes cycling raggedly as his strength dwindled with the effort. He was on the defensive now as Optimus continued to hold the upper-hand, the Prime’s strength and endurance overpowering his own weakened stamina.

The wound in his side burned in agony, a well-placed fist sending him reeling as he clutched breathlessly at the injury. It was a low blow for the Prime, but nothing Megatron wouldn't have done himself.

It took him far too long to regain his senses. He grit his teeth as a second metal fist met his jaw and sent him tumbling back another dozen feet. Dazed and weakened, he struggled to hold his ground. Optimus was no longer pulling his punches or holding back and it was only a matter of time before the Prime overwhelmed him.

Then, amidst the undergrowth and racing toward their battle, came a familiar sight; the human!

Megatron shifted his weight and charged at Optimus, throwing his shoulder against the Prime, knocking him away, and charging past him.

Optimus grunted at the impact and stumbled for a moment, but it took him another moment to realize what was happening... when he spotted the girl rushing into the fray!

“No!” Optimus chased after Megatron as he charged toward the girl and leapt at his rival, tackling him to the ground. They plowed into the earth with a screech of metal and flying debris, rolling and tumbling.

The fight was back on!

Megatron kicked at Optimus, trying to disentangle himself from the Prime, who used this new position to pound on him. A blind kick finally dislodged Optimus enough for Megatron to find his feet again.

\-----

Aurora had rushed into the fray without a second thought, her mind entirely focused on saving her new friend. But when she finally found herself amidst the fight, the scale and danger of it became all too obvious and terrifying.

When Megatron had charged toward her, only to come crashing to the ground mere feet in front of her, rolling and tumbling and struggling against his opponent, it was like facing down an oncoming freight train... and barely avoiding the impact.

Now, both giants were back on their feet, landing blow after blow against each other, sparks and metal flakes raining down from above as they fought. Each step they took rocked the earth beneath her and threatened to crush her underfoot. But she refused to let fear hold her back and continued to put herself between them, risking life and limb to stop the fight. She could see the harm it was doing to Megatron, despite his efforts to defend himself.

When she had met him, he could barely stand... and now he was literally fighting for his life! She couldn’t just stand back and watch this brute beat her already injured friend to death! She had to act, had to do something!

“Stop! Stop it!” She shouted at them, but her pleas went unheard as they pounded each other. Or rather... as the red-and-blue one relentlessly pounded on Megatron.

\-----

The Decepticon warlord was quickly losing the fight, Optimus landing blow after blow, knocking him senseless. Until finally his strength failed him and he crashed to the ground with an agonized groan.

This was it. This was the end. He didn't have the strength to get back up, to continue the fight. His intakes cycled harshly, his vocalizer crackling with each pained sound he made.

Optimus thumped closer and loomed over him with that self-righteous air that Megatron despised. He clutched at his wound, rolling onto his side and digging his claws into the dirt, as if to attempt to push himself up again. But it was only for show. They both knew he no longer had the strength to go on.

“We can end this now, Megatron..” Optimus rumbled, “One way or another. I ask you again to surrender...”

“Never!” Megatron hissed bitterly, groaning at the pain in his chassis. He had finally burned through the last of his reserves and his optics flickered dangerously as darkness pressed in around his field of vision.

“Very well...” Optimus replied, switching to his ion blaster and levelling the barrel at Megatron’s head.

Megatron let out a raspy laugh, pushing himself up enough to leer at Optimus mockingly.

“Go on, then..” he jeered, “Shoot me... if you have the spark... to kill the w-weak and helpless...”

Optimus glared silently at him, much of his expression hidden behind his battered battle mask. The sound of the ion blaster charging up was the only reply he gave.

“No! Stop!” Aurora rushed back into the fray, throwing herself between them and holding out her arms as if to shield Megatron from the weapon. “Stop it! Don't kill him, you MONSTER!” she shouted at the Autobot leader.

Optimus was staggered by the sudden appearance of the girl, but moreso by her defense of Megatron and her accusation. A monster?! Did she really see him as the antagonist of this situation? It was a jarring revelation. Here they had thought they were rescuing the girl from the Decepticon leader… yet she saw them as the aggressors, the kidnappers!

It was enough to unbalance Optimus.

Did killing Megatron in this situation really make him a monster? It was a troubling moral dilemma. Yet, with the girl between them... killing the warlord was no longer an option, lest he injure or kill the human in the process.

The other Autobots soon arrived on the scene, quickly informing him of the human’s ‘escape’.

“I know…” Optimus rumbled and reluctantly lowered his weapon. He stepped back from Megatron and withdrew his blaster, turning to join the others.

“Whu-wait! You’re just.. letting him go?” Bulkhead sputtered, “But he’s-- hey, wait, what’s the girl doing over there?”

“She has chosen her side..” Optimus replied.

“You mean, she’s a Decepticon?” Arcee snarked, “Great.. So, you're really just going to let them go, Optimus?”

“Today… the only victor is mercy.” Optimus responded

“Optimus, you're making a grave mistake!” Ratchet objected, “Stopping Megatron is the only way to end this conflict! You can't just walk away from the best opportunity we've ever had to end his reign of tyranny!”

“Would killing Megatron at his most vulnerable make us any better than him?”

“Yes!” Ratchet insisted, “We wouldn't just be ending a war! We'd be saving lives, Optimus!”

“Perhaps…” Optimus conceded, “But did you not mention earlier that you believed Megatron would not survive his injuries?”

“Well, yes! But that was before we knew the girl was helping him!” Ratchet argued.

“Then do you now believe he has a strong chance of survival? That granting him mercy will ensure his recovery?”

“Well, I-- it’s difficult to know for sure, but.. I suppose if he were to receive immediate medical attention, he might still survive..” Ratchet answered, though he wasn't sure how this was relevant.

“Then you believe that leaving him here will not result in his death?” Optimus pressed.

“Well.. when you put it that way.. the chances of him surviving long enough to be saved are extremely slim. But, if you really wanted to be merciful, Optimus.. you would put him out of his misery right now! Instead, you want to leave him to die?”

“I believe it is more merciful to leave his fate to Primus… than to take his spark myself.” Optimus concluded.

Ratchet sputtered in indignation, but could not formulate a response.

With the matter settled--albeit grudgingly--Optimus contacted Agent Fowler back at base to request a ground-bridge home.

\-----

When the Autobots and their leader retreated to squabble amongst themselves, Aurora turned her attention back to the heavily wounded Megatron, who had fallen silent after that last confrontation.

“Hey... A-are you okay?” she asked, her voice soft and gentle as she moved closer, “Th-they're leaving now.. you're safe.”

Megatron’s intakes rattled as he cycled air shallowly, his optics shuttered.

“Come on... talk to me..” she pleaded, “Please.. you gotta wake up.. you can't die now..”

One fading red optic slowly cracked open, flickering weakly. He could feel the last of his strength leaving him, his systems shutting down, one by one... and yet, he was relieved to see the girl. A kind, familiar face. At least he knew he wouldn't die alone, that someone would weep for him.

He gazed at her hazily, a strange sense of peace and nostalgia washing over him. Perhaps, it was the lack of energon, or his damaged systems, but he felt grateful for the human’s company... and out came the words he never thought he’d ever utter to a human being.

“...thank you..”

“Wh-what..? No.. Come on.. Don't thank me until after you're better!” Aurora pleaded, her voice beginning to crack, “Please.. Megatron…”

His optic slid shut once more and a rattling intake released slowly from him.

“No… No!”

Suddenly, there was the crackling whoosh of another ground-bridge portal opening and out of the swirling green energy stepped a tall, dark figure with long, flat arms and a blank, black screen for a face.

Soundwave had arrived


	5. For Love and Mercy

\-----

The silent, faceless Soundwave stepped out of the swirling portal into the shade of the trees and swept his blank gaze over the area, searching for the source of the signal;

Megatron’s signal.

They had lost track of him shortly after the battle. Starscream had declared Megatron lost, fallen in battle, and had immediately named himself the new leader, as expected. But Soundwave knew better and had continued to search the airwaves for their master’s signal.

And yet, after hours of searching and recalibrating their sensors, they had failed to turn up any trace of him. Until a scrambled transmission had filtered through the static and Megatron’s signal popped back up on their sensors. It was weak, his biosigns dangerously low, and when Megatron’s voice came over the comm demanding medical attention, it became clear that the situation was urgent.

However, Megatron’s request for a ground-bridge was delayed when they once again lost his signal. Soundwave sent out a couple of troops from the bridge to retrieve the medic and once again began to scour the airwaves to reacquire his leader’s signal.

When it had reappeared several minutes later in a new location, Megatron's biosigns were barely registering and a quiet panic had filled the silent mech. He’d wasted no time in locking onto the signal and opened a portal, stepping through with Knockout and three Vehicon troopers not far behind.

And now, as he scanned for the faint signal, the urgency to find his leader--his friend--grew more intense.

\-----

Aurora ducked down in the underbrush when a strange new giant robot stepped out of another of those weird green portals. Was it one of those Autobots come to finish the job? Or maybe it was one of Megatron’s people here to save him? Either way, she wasn’t going to take any chances. The only one who’d know for sure was Megatron.

“Hey.. Hey, wake up.. Someone’s here!” she whispered to him, urgently. But he still didn’t respond, so she took more drastic action and moved closer, pressing her hands against the cold metal of his face and pushing as hard as she could, trying to shake him awake.

“Come _on!_ Wake up! You’re not dead! You can’t be dead, yet! Someone is _HERE!"_ she hissed harshly at him.

And finally.. Finally, his eyes opened again, dim red optics struggling to focus.

“Oh, thank God..” Aurora sighed, and then directed his attention toward the stranger near the ground-bridge, “Look.. someone’s here. You think it’s a rescue?” she asked softly.

Megatron perked up, his optics widening as he pushed himself up slightly to get a better look. “Soundwave…” he rasped, his vocalizer crackling, “..you came..”

The head of that faceless mech suddenly snapped around toward them, it’s whole posture shifting to one of urgency and excitement. Aurora ducked down in the brush again, hidden beneath Megatron’s chest, as the ‘bot rushed over to them.

Soundwave knelt down and reached out with long, slender digits, laying a hand on Megatron’s shoulder and looking him over in quiet concern. Megatron chuckled softly, giving his old friend a weak smile.

“It’s good to see you, Soundwave..” Megatron rasped, “I.. was afraid you wouldn’t.. find me in time..” he admitted, softly, and tried to push himself up with a groan.

Soundwave steadied him and shook his head in disapproval of the action. He looked up as Knockout and the three troopers stepped out of the portal and waved them over urgently.

“Whoa..” Knockout was actually surprised at their leader’s condition. He hadn't seen Megatron in such a bad shape since that nasty space-bridge explosion… and he shouldn't have even survived that.

He rushed over with the three troopers and looked over the wounded warlord briefly. Immediately, he could tell that Megatron was in urgent need of energon, and quickly pulled out an injector vial. It wasn't much, but it would keep him alive long enough to reach the med-bay.

“You three! Get him up!” Knockout ordered to the Vehicon troopers, “And be _careful!"_ he snapped as they each lifted an arm over their shoulders to support the towering ex-gladiator. The third trooper moved to support Megatron’s torso.

Soundwave helped to ease Megatron back to his feet, as he groaned weakly at the effort. However, something beneath the warlord caught the faceless mech’s attention and he snapped out a metal tentacle to snatch it up.

Aurora let out a shriek as she was plucked from the ground and lifted into the air by the mechanical appendage. Terror filled the girl as all optics centered on her, dangling dangerously above the forest floor.

“Eugh, a _HUMAN!"_ Knockout sneered in disgust, “Get rid of it, Soundwave!”

“NO!” Megatron snapped, hoarsely. All eyes shifted back to their weakened leader in surprise.

“M-My liege?” Knockout questioned, worriedly.

“The girl is _mine_. Release her, immediately!” Megatron snarled.

“But, Lord Megatron--” Knockout protested.

“I said, _RELEASE HER!"_

Soundwave gave an obedient nod and carefully lowered the girl back to the ground.

“Th-thank you..” Aurora mumbled, straightening out her clothes.

“Lord Megatron, if I may ask; Why?” Knockout inquired, “What’s so _special_ about this fleshling?”

“She’s the reason I still function..” Megatron answered in a low tone, “She is not to be harmed, is that _clear?"_

“Er.. yes, Lord Megatron.” Knockout conceded, “Now, eh.. let’s get you patched up, shall we?”

The Vehicons began to lead Megatron toward the ground-bridge, supporting him when his steps faltered. Knockout looked over at Soundwave, then glanced down at the girl.

“So... What should we do with the fleshie?” he asked of Soundwave.

The communications chief simply looked at him for a moment, before turning to follow Megatron and his escort.

“ _Right_..” Knockout huffed, crossing his arms indignantly, before moving to follow the others back to the ship.

“Wait!”

Knockout stopped and turned back to look at the human as she trotted up behind him. “Oh, what do _you_ want?” he grumbled, crossing his arms and cocking his hips as he looked down at her in disdain.

“I.. I want to go with him.” she said.

Knockout raised an optical ridge, “Really? And why would you want to do _that?"_ he asked, skeptically.

“I, uh… I just want to.. make sure he’s okay, y’know?” she replied, hesitantly.

“Wha-- _Really?"_ Knockout was surprised by her answer, “Why do _you_ care what happens to Lord Megatron?”

“I-I just do..” she answered, vaguely, “Please..”

Knockout glanced back as the Vehicons struggled to carry the now-unconscious Megatron through the ground-bridge, with Soundwave moving in to assist. He grumbled softly in thought as he considered the girl’s request.

“ _Well_.. since it would seem our master has some sort of.. strange attachment to you.. I suppose, it couldn’t hurt to bring you along..” he sighed, reluctantly, “Just.. stay out of my way.” He turned to continue on back to the ship, now with the human girl trailing behind him.

They stepped through the portal and emerged directly into the medical bay, where Soundwave and the troopers were already waiting. Knockout wasted no time and immediately began ordering the drones around.

“Get him on the table. Carefully! And somebody find Breakdown!” he snapped as the Vehicons maneuvered Megatron’s unconscious form onto the metal slab.

Aurora gasped as she stumbled awkwardly out of the ground-bridge behind the medic, reeling at the strange sensation. “Holy--Wow..! That-that was.. freaky! It feels like my bones are... _vibrating!"_

Soundwave stepped back from the others and opted to simply observe the activity, as was his nature. He was not one to intervene often, but when it came to Megatron, it was difficult to remain in the background. And while he trusted the medic to do his job when it was required, Soundwave chose to remain with him to ensure their leader received the best medical treatment possible.

Knockout shooed the rest of the drones out of the room with a grumble about his assistant’s absence, before returning to the task at hand. With Megatron already unconscious, it was unnecessary to induce stasis, but with his vitals quickly failing it became prudent to put him on life-support before starting surgery.

Aurora watched as the cherry-red medic attached various cables to Megatron’s chassis and a steady beeping filled the room as his vital functions stabilized.

Knockout glanced over his shoulder at the silent mech across the room and sighed, “If you're going to hang around, you can at _least_ make yourself useful! Since my assistant appears to be unavailable at the moment..” he grumbled at Soundwave.

“Um… I-I can help..” Aurora offered, moving toward the large metal table.

“You?” Knockout sneered with a laugh, “What could _you_ possibly do?”

“I-I don't know.. What do you need?” she asked, climbing up onto the medical berth.

Knockout eyed her, scornfully, “Do you even know the difference between a laser scalpel and a durabyllium drill?” he asked.

“Uh... no.”

“Then don't even bother, fleshie. I'm sure I can manage on my own.” he grumbled, moving away to gather his tools from the storage cabinet nearby.

Aurora pouted at his back, then climbed her way up the metal surface to sit near Megatron’s shoulder.

“Y’know, I may be small compared to you, but I'm not _useless_..” she huffed bitterly, and looked over at Megatron’s unconscious face, “I helped _him_..”

“While I'll admit you managed to do _something_ to gain Lord Megatron’s favor, I highly doubt it had any significant impact on his survival..” Knockout replied dismissively, as he brought his tools over to the tray table next to his workstation and checked the bioscan monitor briefly. “I mean, what could a HUMAN possibly do without any sort of medical training or even the slightest understanding of Cybertronian physiology?” He laughed at the absurdity of the idea.

“Doesn’t seem much different from us humans. He was bleeding out, losing energon, so I stopped the leak. Easy-peasy!” Aurora replied, smugly.

Knockout scowled at the girl, who simply smirked back at him, mockingly.

“Ugh, didn't I tell you to stay out of my way?” he grumbled, turning his attention back his work.

“I'm not _IN_ your way..” she retorted, but dropped the antagonizing tone, “I just want make sure he'll be okay..”

“Tell me again, why you even _care?_ Despite what you might think, Lord Megatron isn’t exactly _fond_ of you fleshbags.” Knockout sneered back, beginning his examination of the warlord.

“I-I don’t know... I just do..” she answered, “I mean.. Yeah, he seems kinda mean, but... I dunno.. He just seemed so... vulnerable. I couldn’t just let him _die_... Actually, I’m still kinda wrapping my brain around that concept. Giant robots who can feel pain and die? Like, that’s freaky, man!”

“Imagine how _I_ feel..” Knockout grumbled, “You humans with your.. _eugh_.. fleshiness and soft, squishy bodies..” He shuddered in disgust.

“Hey! At least, I’m not leaking bodily fluids all over over you like _HE_ was!” Aurora snapped back, indignantly.

“ _Eugh_ , I don’t even want to _imagine_ that! You humans are all disgusting, squishy bags of meat and fluids! It’s _revolting!"_ Knockout declared.

Soundwave stepped toward the table, making his presence known once more, and pointed to Lord Megatron, indicating that the medic should _shut up and do his job!_

“Yes, yes, I know!” Knocked sighed irritably, returning to his examination and pointedly ignoring the girl’s acid glare as he looked over the wound in Megatron’s chassis. “What in the--?! What is this?! YOUR handiwork, I assume?” he grumbled when he came across the girl’s duct-tape patch job.

“Yup!” she chirped with that smug grin.

“This is ridiculous! Did you really think your human adhesive would fix this?!” Knockout huffed in exasperation.

“Worked, didn’t it?” Aurora taunted.

Soundwave loomed over them, his irritation at their childish banter clearly visible in his body language, and he pointed again at their master; a silent warning to the both of them. It was intimidating enough to shut them _both_ up.

The rest of the operation went by in near total silence.

Knockout opted to ignore the human’s presence altogether, whilst Aurora turned her focus to watching Megatron’s still form, in-between covert glances at the medic as he worked, her own worries gnawing quietly at the back of her mind. It wasn’t long before the Doc had completely patched up the hole in Megatron’s side, as though it had never even been there. There was barely even a visible welding mark. Knockout’s bodywork skills were actually quite impressive.

With Megatron now firmly on the mend, Soundwave took his leave to return to his duties. Which left Knockout alone with the human girl.

Aurora sat with her arms around her knees, curled up at Megatron’s shoulder, quietly watching him, and waiting for him to wake up.

Knockout, on the other hand, busied himself with cleaning up and putting away his tools, grumbling under his breath about his missing assistant.

“....He’s gonna be okay, now… Right?” came Aurora’s soft voice, her gentle tone betraying her worry.

Knockout looked back at the girl, a sarcastic remark poised on the tip of his tongue, but it never left his mouth when he caught sight of the girl’s forlorn expression as she gazed at Megatron. All of his previous irritation at the human seemed to melt away. There was something oddly sweet about the scene..

And it churned Knockout’s tanks sickeningly. He still couldn’t understand what had possessed the mighty Lord Megatron to show mercy to a human! Especially one as aggravating as her!

Yet, there was something about her _ridiculous_ human frailty, and the gentle way she looked at the unconscious warlord, that made it difficult to hate her in that moment. It was almost.. _Cute! Adorable! Precious, even!_ It was like she was activating long-dormant parental sub-routines in him. It was unnerving!

Was this what she had done to Lord Megatron? Wooed him with her strange human _cuteness?_

He was beginning to understand how the Autobots could be so viciously protective of their human pets..

But, she had asked him a question, and he felt compelled to answer her.

“Lord Megatron will be perfectly fine, I can assure you. He’s survived far worse. Once his systems have recalibrated, he should wake up without any permanent damage.” Knockout answered, casually.

“How long will that take?” Aurora asked.

“Oh.. a couple of hours, at most.”

Aurora shifted to pull out her phone and checked the time. It was late in the afternoon, edging into early evening. Her parents usually didn’t expect her home for dinner until nearly 7:30, so there was no rush to leave. But with the disgruntled medic as her only company, it was going to be a long wait if Megatron didn’t awaken soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much of Megatron in this one, but Aurora got to meet Soundwave and Knockout! Yay? New chapters might be slow-coming after this point. Gotta write 'em, still.


	6. In the Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron finally wakes up.

 -----

Awakening after surgery is rarely a pleasant experience, and this was no exception. At the least, there was always the discomfort of fresh welds; at worst, the lingering pain of more serious damage. What Megatron awoke to was closer to the latter than the former, and he made it known with a low groan.

“Ah, you're awake,” came the sound of the medic’s voice from somewhere in the room, “How do you feel, my liege?”

Megatron opened his optics to take in his surroundings, the fog of unconsciousness slowly lifting. He moved to get up before addressing the medic.

“Where is Starscream?” he asked in a low, dangerous tone as he stood up from the med-berth.

“He’s… on the bridge, my liege. But you mustn't strain yourself so soon, master. You’re still recovering from your ordeal.” Knockout protested, cautiously.

“I’m _fine!”_ Megatron snarled, moving toward the exit.

A small sound caught the attention of both mechs, as the small human girl yawned and stretched, sitting up from where she had been napping on the medic’s tray table.

“Mm.. Do you have to be so loud?” Aurora grumbled softly, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.

Megatron stared for a moment with wide red optics, before turning on the medic with a snarl.

“What is _SHE_ doing here?!” he demanded.

Knockout chuckled nervously, cowering under Megatron’s intense glare. “Eh, well..sh-she insisted on accompanying you, my liege. I.. didn't think it would be a problem.”

Megatron appeared to relax, turning his gaze back to the girl. “Really...” he murmured, and stepped toward the table she sat upon. “So, the little lamb decided to follow me all the way home..” he mused softly.

Aurora looked up at him with a soft gasp, and a wide smile lit up her face. “You’re awake! You're okay!”

“Indeed, I am.”

“I was so worried! I was afraid you wouldn't wake up...” she admitted, “I'm so glad you're okay, now.”

Megatron blinked in surprise, unaccustomed to such honest compassion. “I see..” he rumbled softly, “Your concern is... appreciated, but I have more pressing matters to attend to now..” he continued, turning back toward the exit, “Such as dealing with a certain traitorous First Lieutenant..” he added in a growl under his breath.

“Wait!” Aurora climbed down from the table and raced after the towering warlord, slipping through the doors just as they closed behind him.

“Finally..!” Knockout muttered in relief as the human girl disappeared beyond the med-bay doors, and he turned to resume his usual activities in peace.

Outside the med-bay, Megatron paused and turned to look back at the girl curiously, as she trotted up behind him.

Aurora stopped and looked up at him. “I... I want to come with you..” she said, sheepishly.

“You are _persistent_ , aren't you...” Megatron rumbled, an optic ridge raised in mild amusement, and he turned back to continue on his way. “Very well. You may.. tag along.” he chuckled softly.

Aurora smiled brightly and trotted along behind him, barely keeping up with his large, lumbering steps. As she followed him through the endless corridors of the _Nemesis_ , they passed by dozens of drones at work in their various duties. A few gave the human an odd look here and there, but none of them spoke up about it.

“So, this is your ship?” she asked in awe, marvelling at the scale and sheer alienness of it, “How big is it? A-and how do you hide it all?”

Megatron chuckled in amusement at the girl’s curiosity, now finding it rather endearing. “Hehe.. The _Nemesis_ is a fully-equipped warship, capable of housing _thousands_ of troops. It is also equipped with a molecular masking field, which effectively cloaks the ship from all known methods of detection.” he rumbled, proudly.

“Wow.. I’d _love_ to see it from the outside. I bet it looks badass!”

“The _Nemesis_ is indeed a formidable ship... and I suppose it _does_ look rather ‘ _badass_ ’, as you put it.”

Aurora giggled at the warlord’s use of the human phrase, finding it all too amusing to hear. But the humor quickly faded as she watched him. He seemed to be favoring his right side as he walked, a slight limp in his steps.

“Does it still hurt..?” she asked, softly.

Megatron paused briefly, but did not turn to look at her when he spoke. “Yes.. but not nearly as much as before.” he answered honestly, his tone soft and gentle. “The bridge is just ahead.” he added, changing the subject as he moved forward again.

Aurora followed at Megatron’s heel as they stepped through the doors into the massive chamber that housed the ship’s main bridge. The Vehicon troopers turned from their stations to salute Megatron as he entered.

“Welcome back, Lord Megatron.” one trooper spoke, bowing respectfully to him.

Megatron nodded in acknowledgement and turned his gaze toward the central control station.

“Starscream!”

The slender Seeker yelped and flinched, turning around quickly to face Megatron as he approached.

“M-Master! You- You're.. _alive!_ And looking quite well, might I add..” Starscream stammered, anxiously. He had not expected Megatron to recover so quickly... let alone survive his injuries.

He was certainly not pleased when Soundwave had returned with their unconscious, but quite alive, leader.. and would have gone to finish him off had the Communications Chief not been hanging around to ensure their leader’s survival.

“Indeed, I am, Starscream. No thanks to you!” Megatron snarled.

“Ah! M-Master, I--!”

“You _ABANDONED_ ME! Called for the retreat of MY forces and left me to the mercy of the _Autobots!”_ Megatron snarled, looming over the meek Seeker.

“N-No, Master! When the Autobots struck you down, I-- They-they overwhelmed us! We had no choice!” Starscream protested.

“ _Really?_ ” Megatron sneered, “You saw no other option, but to abandon your leader to the ENEMY?! No, you had a choice, Starscream... and you chose YOURSELF!”

“Lord Megatron, I--”

“ENOUGH!” Megatron roared, grabbing Starscream by the throat.

“ _Gghhak!_ M-maste-- _Hhgk!”_ Starscream clawed at Megatron’s arm, dangling from the ex-gladiator’s stranglehold. Panic flared in the Seeker’s bright-red optics, and he was once again regretting his foolish actions.

“I've had _enough_ of your lies!” Megatron growled and turned, swinging his arm around as he flung the tiny flyer across the bridge. He let out a satisfied intake as he watched Starscream crash into a console screen across the room and tumble to the floor.

Aurora, however, saw the subtle wince and heard Megatron grunt in pain as he turned to stomp over to the abused Seeker. She followed behind him like a puppy, watching with quiet concern as the Decepticon leader “disciplined” the scrawny Seeker.

"This is the last time you'll betray me, Starscream.." Megatron rumbled, threateningly.

Starscream gasped fearfully, scrambling backwards on the floor away from his enraged leader. “M-Master… please..!” he begged.

Megatron thumped closer, a murderous rage in his optics. Starscream was panicking. He scrambled back, trying to stay out of Megatron’s reach, and searched for an escape route. But as his optics flicked back and forth in search, he caught sight of something _very_ out of place.

A human girl, peering out at him from just behind Megatron’s leg... a HUMAN! On the warship!!

Starscream gasped in shock, pressing his wings together tightly as he called out in alarm, “I-INTRUDER!! THERE’S A _HUMAN_ IN HERE!! S-SOUND THE ALARM!!”

“BELAY THAT!” Megatron snapped at the troopers, turning his gaze back to Starscream. “ _I_ give the orders!” he growled.

“B-But, Master, look! It’s right behind you!!” Starscream insisted, pointing with one long, trembling claw.

Megatron paused, then laughed when he realized what the Seeker meant. He sidestepped and looked down at Aurora. “You mean... her?”

“Wh--You _knew?_ ” Starscream was bewildered! “But--I-I don't understand… Why is there a _human_ here?”

“This _human_ is the reason I'm still here, Starscream.” Megatron growled, “She’s shown me more _true loyalty_ in our brief time together... than YOU have in your _entire lifecycle!”_

Starscream looked between Megatron and the girl in confusion, “B-but.. She’s a HUMAN!”

“And _you’re_ a snivelling coward..” Megatron sneered back, “So, what’s your point? At least this _human_ didn’t ABANDON me when the Autobots threatened to end me. Unlike you, she risked her life to save mine!”

Starscream gaped at that bombshell, looking back down at the girl. “Wh-what are you saying, Master? That you actually _trust_ this human?!”

“More than I trust _you_ , Starscream.” Megatron replied.

Aurora remained quiet throughout their conversation. She felt rather _on the spot_ as the two talked about her as though she wasn't standing right there. Although, it felt nice to hear that Megatron actually trusted her now. He certainly hadn't made it easy. She supposed saving his life played a huge part in establishing their tentative trust.

Megatron took another step toward the Seeker cowering on the floor, and Starscream reacted in fear, scrambling back again.

“N-No..! Master, please! ..G-give me one more chance! I beg of you!” Starscream pleaded desperately as the warlord aimed his fusion cannon at him.

“You’ve had more chances than _anyone_ , Starscream!” Megatron snarled, charging the weapon, “And you _continue_ to disappoint me...”

Aurora watched with mounting horror as the scrawny Seeker turned into a blubbering, whimpering mess.. begging his leader to spare his life. And Megatron.. who stood impassively above him, sneering in disgust at the undignified display.. fully prepared to kill his own First Lieutenant.

Aurora reacted instinctively, barely sparing a thought to her actions as she raced forward, once again putting herself between two giant robots intent on destroying the other.

“Stop!” she shouted, and held up her arms, palms out and eyes wide. “Don't-don't kill him!”

All attention was now on her as the two mechs gaped in surprise at this tiny human. Every muscle in her body was tense and she trembled nervously as she locked eyes with Megatron.

“This.. this i-isn't right..” she continued in a softer tone, “There.. there has to be a better way. Lock him up. Throw him the brig! I don't know, just don't KILL him!”

Megatron’s wide red optics slowly narrowed and his expression shifted into a snarl, jagged teeth bared as he growled in irritation.

Starscream simply gaped at her, whimpering softly as he glanced up at Megatron. He was too afraid to speak, lest he ruin this chance to escape Megatron's wrath. Maybe the foolish girl would succeed in changing the tyrant’s mind, or perhaps she’d simply provide an adequate distraction while he made his escape. Either way, the Seeker wasn't going to risk his spark by interfering.

Megatron grit his teeth as he analyzed the situation. The girl was impetuous and stupidly brave.. two things that currently annoyed him. However, despite her defiant behavior, he found himself reluctant to harm her. But if he backed down to her, a _human,_  in front of his troops..? It might undermine his authority and that was something he wasn’t willing to risk. Yet.. there _must_ be a way to resolve this without sacrificing his authority.

He appeared torn for a moment, faceplates twitching into a vicious snarl as his weapon arm wavered slightly, as though caught between shooting through her or not. But then his expression shifted into a shark-toothed grin and he chuckled darkly as he lowered his weapon, surprising everyone around him.

He laughed louder, as though he found this all incredibly amusing.

“I think she _likes_ you, Starscream..” he teased, his tone dripping with sarcastic amusement. “Take him to the brig.” he commanded, turning away from the terrified Seeker with an air of self-assured authority.

Aurora dropped her arms, her muscles turning to mush as the adrenaline rush faded. Standing up against the massive Decepticon leader was absolutely terrifying, but.. somehow satisfying.

She cast a glance over her shoulder at the one called Starscream, whose life she had just saved... And for all the fear and terror he’d expressed, he sure was quick to return her look with an ungrateful sneer as the troopers came to take him away. Aurora didn't let that bother her though as she trotted off to follow Megatron.

The Decepticon leader had made his way back to the central control station at the end of the long platform, arms held behind him as he stared up at the large display screen.

“Never do that again..” he rumbled dangerously as she stepped up beside him, his expression hard as he stared straight ahead.

It was a warning. Perhaps the only one he'd give her. But somehow, that didn't seem to matter to her.

“I'm not sorry.” she responded, standing her ground.

This surprised Megatron and he looked down at her with wide optics. She had just witnessed the full extent of his wrath and still she remained defiant and unafraid of him. He was... impressed. This tiny human had spirit. However, such defiance could be dangerous.

“I see..” he replied after a moment, “But you must realize that I cannot allow this to go unpunished.”

He saw her jaw tense and her gaze drop to the floor, and felt his spark flutter uncomfortably.

“I know..” she mumbled. She had challenged his authority, and she knew from experience just how much adults hated that.

This past school year had been more difficult than most, simply because she had begun to butt heads with her teachers. Nothing too serious, of course, but she’d become less popular with the faculty. Teenage rebellion, they’d called it. Insisted that she’d “grow out of it”, to comfort her parents.

But this was different.

This wasn't just her contradicting a teacher or questioning their knowledge of a subject. She’d challenged the authority of an alien military leader.. in front of his own soldiers. She knew she was in for something far more serious than an hour in detention.

Megatron reached a clawed hand down toward and she tensed, closing her eyes in anticipation of her punishment.

But nothing happened.

Opening her eyes, she saw the hand held out expectantly for her and looked up at Megatron in surprise. He gave her a gentle smile in return and nodded at his hand. Slowly, she climbed onto the offered platform and braced herself with an arm around his thumb. When she was suitably settled, he slowly lifted her up to shoulder height and allowed her to disembark onto the expanse of one broad shoulder.

As she settled herself on the smooth curve of his shoulder, she looked back at him as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

“...you’re… not going to punish me..?” she asked softly, not quite sure if she could relax just yet.

He chuckled lightly in response and answered, “I believe a warning will suffice.. _this_ time.”

Aurora sighed in relief and finally relaxed, settling comfortably against his shoulder armor. “Thank you..” she mumbled, letting a light smile grace her lips, “Y’know.. I would have done the same thing for you. Actually… I _did_.”

Megatron nodded, “I know.. but you’ll come to learn in time.. that not everyone _deserves_ your mercy.”

Aurora frowned, considering his words quietly for a moment. “Maybe.. but doesn’t that seem like an awfully dark way of looking at the world? Shouldn’t everyone be given the chance to change?”

“The world is often a dark and cruel place, where not everyone gets their chance. Others.. are given more chances than they deserve.. and squander every single one.” Megatron rumbled, his tone distant, as though his thoughts were elsewhere.

She watched him thoughtfully, tucking her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees. “..Would you have really killed Starscream if I hadn’t... tried to stop you?” she asked softly, startling him from his thoughts.

“Most likely..” he answered after a moment, turning his head to look at her, “Does that frighten you?”

Aurora nibbled on her lip as she thought about it. She was no stranger to death or dead things, but she had never experienced the death of something firsthand.. Well, except for the occasional pet, or wild animal. But that was different than a person... Or a sentient alien robot who was literally pleading for their life.

“Maybe..” she finally answered; a vague response, but the only answer she could offer.

“Mm... I suppose that’s to be expected...” Megatron rumbled, “But you’ve no need to fear me, now..”

“...I don’t...” she replied, “I mean... I did at first, but… I’m not scared, anymore.”

Megatron nodded with a faint smile, marvelling at how quickly this little human had endeared herself to him, warming his cold spark like a tiny flame. It was a feeling he had not experienced in eons.. not since the war began. He’d almost thought himself incapable of feeling this sort of.. warmth, anymore; swore it had all been snuffed out by the cold horror of war, replaced with an insatiable thirst for power and control. Anything to fill the void.

But, now...

A shrill musical tone cut through his thoughts and he glanced at the girl on his shoulder in surprise. She seemed equally surprised as she twisted around to remove a small device from her back pocket; a cellular phone.

“Sorry! It’s my alarm..” she explained, pressing a button to cease the sound. She looked at the display of the device and chewed her lip curiously, “Oh, wow.. I didn’t realize how much time has passed. It’s almost time for dinner.” she looked back at him, “I.. I need to go home. My parents are expecting me. They’ll worry if I’m not home for dinner.”

“You.. wish to leave?” he asked softly.

“I have to...” she answered, “...but, that doesn’t mean... I can’t come back, right?”

Megatron rumbled softly, reluctant to let her go so soon. He had promised himself that he would release the girl.. But that was before she had chosen to follow him back to the ship.

“Very well..” he sighed, and activated the ship’s comm system, “Knockout, report to the bridge. I have a job for you.” he commanded.

“Yes, my liege.” Knockout’s voice returned eagerly over the comm.

“Uh... why did you call him?” Aurora asked curiously.

“Knockout will accompany you and ensure you arrive home safely.” Megatron explained, turning away from the console to walk back to the lower bridge.

“Okay... not sure how that’s supposed to work, but sure...” she muttered under her breath.

Knockout stepped through the doors onto the bridge several minutes later, approaching Megatron confidently and giving him a sweeping bow as he spoke, “How may I assist you, my liege?”

“You’re going to be taking the girl home.” Megatron informed him.

Knockout’s confident smile dropped, “Wh- _ME?!_ But, my liege, I--”

“Is there a problem?” Megatron growled.

“Er.. n-no, Lord Megatron. I would be.. _honored_ to escort our ‘guest’ home..”  Knockout grumbled.

“Good.” Megatron replied, and carefully removed the girl from his shoulder, setting her back down onto the metal floor.

The medic let out an exaggerated sigh, rolling his optics as he stepped back, and quickly transformed into his alt-mode, popping open his door for the girl. However, Knockout's casual transformation was anything but to the gobsmacked human girl who had just witnessed the phenomenon for the very first time.

She nearly leapt out of her skin at the sight, stumbling backwards in shock as she gaped at the car that had suddenly appeared.

“H-Holy _SHIT!!”_ she shrieked, “Did you just turn into a FUCKING CAR?!” Aurora rarely cursed like this, but the shock had completely destroyed her language filter.

Giant talking alien robots was one thing, but giant talking alien robots who turned INTO FUCKING CARS?! That was a whole ‘nother level of weird! And none of them had ever even made mention of such an ability!

Aurora turned to Megatron, still absolutely mind-blown, and shrieked again, “He just turned into a FUCKING CAR!! WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Are you quite _finished?!”_ Knockout grumbled in annoyance. “Just get in, already! You can continue your human freak-out on the way.”

Aurora gaped at him. “You want me to get _inside_ _you?”_

“Please, don't make it _weird.."_  Knockout complained.

“Aurora.” Megatron rumbled firmly, using the girl’s name for the first time since meeting her. It was enough to snap her out of her shock for a moment as she looked back at him. “Calm down..” he soothed in a gentle voice, “This is perfectly normal. Knockout is going to bring you home. This... alternate form allows us to travel unnoticed by the human population. It's completely safe, I can assure you.”

She looked back at Knockout, “A-Are you sure? I mean… h-he’s not gonna, like.. turn back into a robot with me inside and crush me?” she asked nervously.

“As if I want your _disgusting_ human fluids gumming up my gears!” Knockout snorted derisively, “Just get in, so we can get this over with.”

She looked back at Megatron, who nodded encouragingly to her.

“Go on..”

“O-okay..” she mumbled, and hesitantly climbed into Knockout’s passenger seat. The door slammed shut on its own and she heard the locks click, a nervous shiver racing down her spine. “This is so weird..” she muttered, looking over at the empty driver’s seat.

“Tell me about it..” Knockout replied, the ring of red lights in the center of the steering wheel flashing with each syllable.

“H-How are you still talking? Where does your head go? How do you even.. fold yourself into a car, anyway?! You’re like.. HUGE!” she said. Questions upon questions filled her as she tried to understand this curveball of a situation.

“This is going to be a LONG drive..” Knockout sighed.

\-----

The swirling green portal flashed open in the uninhabited section of Pinedale as a sleek red sports car zoomed out onto the quiet street. The sky was already darkening as the summer sun slipped slowly beneath the horizon somewhere to the west.

Aurora grew quiet as they drove through the familiar streets of her hometown. Too quiet, apparently.

Knockout huffed at her, “ _Well?!_ I’m not going to just drive around all night until you tell me where you live!”

“S-sorry..” she mumbled and told him her home address, “It’s not too far.. I can give you directions if you--”

“I don't _need_ directions!” Knockout scoffed, and Aurora went quiet again.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at her house, and Knockout appeared all too happy to get rid of her. The door swung open and the seat seemed to almost bounce her out! She stumbled onto the sidewalk and turned back to the sleek sports car as the door slammed shut.

“Thank you..” she mumbled.

“Don't mention it..” the car sneered back and without warning, peeled off down the road.

Aurora exhaled softly and turned back toward her house. She had just had an _incredible_ day, but already it was starting to feel like an impossible dream. Giant alien robots who could turn into cars? It all seemed so ridiculous! Her parents would never believe her if she told them! She couldn’t even be certain if she’d ever see these "Decepticons" again, which made the experience seem even _more_ unreal. The only proof she had that _something_ had happened… were the strange oily purple stains on her pants.

Energon. Robot _blood._

She shook her head as she opened the front door. Even the idea seemed ludicrous. Robots don't bleed. They don't die. They weren't ALIVE!

But what if they could be?

\-----

Knockout sped down the empty streets, feeling both relieved to finally be rid of the human girl and yet somehow.. empty.

“Knockout to Lord Megatron.” he spoke into his comm.

“Has the girl been delivered home safely?” Megatron asked, the faintest hint of concern in his tone.

“Of course, my liege! She’s safe and sound. Right where she _belongs_.”

“Good. I have another task for you, Knockout.” Megatron rumbled.

“I live to serve, my liege!” he responded eagerly.

“I want you to keep an ‘eye’ on the girl. She may be of use to our cause. And I have no doubt the Autobots will attempt to take her from us.” Megatron explained, much to Knockout's chagrin.

“You want me to _babysit_ the human?!”

“Indeed. I trust you won't fail me.. will you, Knockout.”

The medic sighed, resigned to his duty. “Of course not...”

“Excellent..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a long time to write, but I hope you all enjoyed it!
> 
> Now, I'm not sure how far beyond the premise I should take this story, but if you all like it and want more, then I'm happy to oblige! I certainly have plenty of ideas!


	7. The Lion at the Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case ya'll were wondering, here's the timeline of canon events and where this story fits into it.
> 
> (based roughly on original airdates, except the "Darkness Rising" episodes. I pushed that forward a bit to shorten the delay between events)
> 
> Darkness Rising Part 1-5: Takes place over the course of 2-5 days, roughly around January 29--February 3.  
> Masters and Students: Takes place about a week later around February 11th.  
> Scrapheap: Takes place February 18th.  
> Con-Job: February 25th.  
> Convoy: March 4th.  
> Deus Ex Machina: March 11th  
> Speed Metal: April 9th.  
> Predatory: April 16th.  
> Sick Mind: April 30th.  
> Out of his Head: May 7th.  
> Shadowzone: May 14th.
> 
> ...and this is where it diverges. Some events may be switched around, some may be delayed by several months or skipped altogether, but the story begins in early summer, around the end of June/beginning of July.
> 
> The event which sparked the beginning of the story, the battle in which Megatron is wounded, was most likely an Autobot ambush on an Energon mine Megatron was checking up on. This was left vague at the beginning, mostly because I was unsure of the timeline I’d be using at the time.

\-----

“Get ‘im, Raf! Kick his butt!”

“Miko!”

“What?”

“I thought you were supposed to be on MY side!”

"I was. But now I'm on Raf’s side.”

Jack frowned at the cheeky Asian girl as she smirked back at him. The three of them sat around the TV in the Autobot base, deeply entrenched in a heated videogame battle; Jack vs Raf, with Miko alternately cheering on the two boys.

That was the scene back at base when Agent Fowler activated the ground-bridge for the returning Autobots, most of whom were in various states of displeasure when they stepped through.

“Welcome back,” Fowler greeted them, “So, how’d the ‘Con hunt go? Did ya find ol’ Buckethead?”

“Oh, we found him,” Arcee answered before the others could respond, “But things didn’t exactly go as planned. A human girl got involved somehow and stopped Optimus from finishing him off.”

“Wait.. you're saying a _civilian_ saw you lot... AND Megatron?!”

“Unfortunately, yes.. Agent Fowler.” Optimus confirmed.

“Yeah..” Bulkhead added. “And she was trying to protect him. I still can't believe it myself.”

Jack and the other kids abandoned their game to join the conversation as the elder teen spoke up.

“Arcee, did.. you just say ‘a human girl’, as in.. a kid, like us?” Jack asked.

“Yeah.. and I’d say she was close to _your_ age, Jack.” the femme ‘Bot answered.

“So, you're telling me that not only has _ANOTHER_ civilian kid gotten mixed up in your intergalactic civil war, but she’s gotten involved with the **_DECEPTICONS?!_** _”_ Fowler was flabbergasted and a little bit miffed at this news.

“Indeed, Agent Fowler. It would seem the girl may have stumbled upon Megatron when he was at his most vulnerable and, perhaps, offered to help him in his time of need.” Optimus elaborated, “I believe she may have.. bonded with Megatron, as the children have done with us.”

“You mean the Decepticons now have their _own_ human ally?” Miko asked.

“That remains to be seen.” Optimus answered, “While Megatron may have taken advantage of the girl’s compassion at the time.. and should he survive his wounds.. it is difficult to know whether the Decepticons would welcome a human into their ranks as we have.”

“Knowing Megatron, he’s probably already thinking up ways to exploit her to his advantage.” Arcee pointed out bitterly. “He already tried using her as a hostage to escape us.”

“So, where’s the girl, now?” Fowler asked.

“Still with Megatron, I imagine.” Arcee answered.

“You _left_ her with him?!”

“We didn't have a choice, Fowler!" Bulkhead interjected, “The girl wouldn't even let us get _near_ Megatron, and when we tried to rescue her from Buckethead she fought to get away from us!”

Bumblebee buzzed in confirmation, explaining in beeps and gestures how she escaped from him.

“Do we even know who this girl is? Where she comes from?” Jack asked.

“I'm afraid we did not have the opportunity to ask for her name.” Optimus replied, “But, I believe I know where we may begin our investigation.”

\-----

PINEDALE, COLORADO. 8:45 AM

Aurora awoke the next morning almost certain she had somehow dreamt or imagined the strange events of the previous day. There was no possible way any of that had been _real_. Right?

Dinner had been rather uneventful, aside from her mother’s scolding about the mess on her pants. Those pants were now in the wash, the strange stains all but erased from existence. Robot blood? As if! She probably just touched something gross in the woods, like tree sap or something.

Speaking of, she now realized she’d forgotten her bike in the forest. She’d have to go retrieve it later, but first she needed a shower and then breakfast.

It wasn't until she began undressing that she finally noticed the bruises around her ribs and suddenly recalled the moment she had nearly been crushed to death in the grip of an alien robot. But.. that hadn't been _real_ , right?

Yet, here were the bruises, as real as the freckles on her face and just as tender as you'd expect. Ow. How had she ignored this pain for so long? Her pain tolerance wasn't _usually_ that high... Adrenaline? Whatever it was, it had finally worn off. Now, it hurt like a-- well, _you know._ Maybe, that shower would help.. and she needed it, anyway.

She finished undressing and soon stepped into the steamy spray of hot water. The effect was immediate and soothing. Sore aching muscles slowly relaxed and the pain in her ribs lessened. She wondered idly as she washed her hair, if maybe she should see a doctor... but the pain wasn't _that_ bad. It only hurt when she breathed too deeply or twisted the wrong way. Nothing _too_ serious, right?

Well, she wasn’t dead yet, so it couldn’t be all that life-threatening. And besides, she could handle a little pain, it just meant she’d have to be more careful how she moved. Either way, a little pain and bruising wasn’t going to stop her from enjoying another warm summer day. However, it did make it harder to ignore or write off the strange, _unreal_ events of yesterday as nothing more than a dream. After all, dreams didn’t usually come with bruises.

After finishing her shower, drying off, and getting dressed, Aurora headed downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

“Morning, Mom!” she chirped to the older woman as she trotted into the kitchen.

“Morning, sweetie!” her mother chimed back with a smile, “What’s got you up so early?”

Aurora shrugged, looking through their selection of cereals, “I dunno.. First week of summer.. guess I’m still on a school-day schedule.”

Her mother nodded knowingly, “That must be it. I remember I used to wake up early for months following my highschool graduation. Hard to break that habit, I suppose.”

Aurora nodded back, “Yup! And just one more year before I'm officially done with school forever!”

“Or until you start university..” her mother corrected, “We agreed to let you have ONE year off after you graduate. You’re not getting out of a full education that easily, young lady!"

Aurora groaned audibly, “Ugh! Mom! Is it really that important? Seriously! It's not like it’ll actually help me get a job!”

“Maybe not, but it might just help you expand your mind a bit! And besides, your father and I still believe it’s important to your personal growth as a young adult. And we didn’t save up all that money for your education just for you to decide you’d rather skip university and use it all for.. I don’t know.. travel expenses, or something!” her mother sighed.

“What's wrong with travelling?” Aurora asked, finally picking out a box of cereal, “I'm sure that'd be just as ‘mind-expanding’ as sitting in a classroom for an hour everyday, if not more!"

“Because, it's dangerous! Especially for a young woman. The world isn't as safe as our little town might make you think it is.”

“Mom, I KNOW it can be dangerous, but that’s life!” Aurora sighed, “Besides, it wouldn’t be fun if there wasn't a little risk involved.” she added with a smirk.

“Aurora Alya Cordero, I _swear_ you'll be the death of me one of these days!” her mother chastised lovingly, shaking her head at her daughter’s playful grin. “Alright.. we’ll discuss it later, but _maybe_.. we’ll let you do some travelling in your off year before university.” she sighed with a wry smile.

“Aw, you're the best, Mom!” Aurora smiled, “But I never actually said I WANTED to travel..” she added cheekily, before pouring her bowl of cereal.

Her mother just shook her head with a soft laugh. She knew her daughter was an avid explorer and would certainly never turn down an opportunity to explore someplace new. So, even if she had never said it outright, they both knew that travelling the world was high on her list of life goals.

“By the way, dear..” her mother spoke up again as Aurora sat down to eat her cereal, “You aren't expecting someone today, are you?” she asked.

“No..” Aurora mumbled around a mouthful of Lucky Charms, and swallowed before adding: “Why?”

“Hm.. well, it’s just that there’s been this red sports car parked out front all morning. I've never seen it before.. except for last night. Isn't that the car that dropped you off yesterday?”

Aurora nearly choked on her cereal!

She coughed hard and squeaked out a strangled “What?!” as her mother sighed and patted her on the back.

“Try not to choke on your breakfast, dear..”

Aurora managed to clear her lungs after a minute and gave her mother an annoyed glare.

“Yeah, thanks, Mom..” she pouted, snarkily, and gently rubbed her sore ribs.

“You’re welcome.” her mother smiled back, “Now, as I was saying… You never did say who that was last night. You’re not sneaking around with strange boys now, are you?”

“What? No! Mom!” Aurora huffed, “It was... just..”

“Just what? A free ride from a stranger?”

“No! Mom… It was.. just a new friend..” she sighed. It wasn’t a _lie_ , exactly.. But she couldn’t tell her mother what it- what HE really was. And, sure… calling Knockout a ‘friend’ was a bit of a stretch, considering how much the medic seemed to despise her. Which was why it was odd that the red sports car was apparently sitting outside her house.

Then again... she had been determined to believe it was all a dream up until that moment. If it _was_ all real... she needed to confirm it for herself. Before her mother could respond to her answer, Aurora stood up, pushing her cereal bowl aside, and chirped loudly, “Well, I’m not hungry anymore. I think I’ll go for a walk. Bye, mom!”

“Aurora!” her mother shouted after her, in that tone of voice that clearly said she was going to be in trouble when she came back, but she was already halfway out the door and this was too important to worry about the consequences.

Seriously! If it really wasn’t a dream, then that meant she had _actually_ met REAL LIFE ALIENS!! Like.. this was life-altering!! Clearly, she’d been too stunned to realize the depth and magnitude at the time, but now?! HOLY SHIT!!

Aurora rushed down the front steps and slowed as she neared the sidewalk, taking in the sight of the bright red sports car that was indeed parked just outside her house, with its unique red-and-white paint-job and those flashy gold-plated rims. It was unmistakable.

But... was it really a sentient, shapeshifting, alien robot?

She approached the silent vehicle cautiously, peering into its tinted windows from afar, trying to see if there was anyone inside. Of course, she saw nothing because tinted windows were nearly impossible to see through without pressing your face right up against the glass, obviously. And besides that, who tints their windshield that much? She was pretty sure that was illegal somewhere.

This was quickly becoming awkward as she stood there just staring at the car. What was she even supposed to do? _Ask_ the car if it was an alien robot? Yeah, that wouldn’t look weird, at all!

Okay.. maybe.. Just talk to it? Like.. you’re talking to someone inside? That felt _less_ weird, at least. Well, here goes...

“Uh... Hi! So.. my mom noticed you sitting out here... in front of our house... and I was wondering, um... if you were the same ca-uh, guy.. that dropped me off yesterday?” Aurora asked, cringing internally at the awkwardness in her voice and this whole situation.

She waited for an answer, but the car remained silent. Well, of course it did! Cars can’t talk! But, she wasn’t about to give up just yet. Walking closer, she tried again.

“Look... I _know_ this is the same car, okay? You’re kinda hard to miss. I just.. I wanna know.. if all that was real yesterday. Are _you_ real?” She paused again to wait for an answer, but still the car was silent. Okay, this was ridiculous, but if this car really was alive, then she was going to be _really_ mad at him for ignoring her!

“Come _on_.. I know I’m not crazy! Dreams don’t cause bruises and I can’t have dreamt about a car like this that I’ve never seen before! If you’re alive, just answer me!” she demanded, getting fed up with this silent treatment.

Still, there was no answer.

Aurora huffed and cupped her hands around her face to peer into the side window, checking for anyone inside. Empty. Of course, it was. It was just a stupid, empty, normal car! A car that just _happened_ to look like the one in her not-quite-sure-if-it-was-real dream.

“Ugh! You’re such an idiot, Aurora!” she grumbled at herself, and stood up. She glared angrily at the vehicle, mad at herself for even entertaining the idea of an alien robot car, and mad at the car for making her feel like a lunatic.“Stupid car!” she huffed, giving the side door a swift kick.

“Hey! Watch the paint, fleshbag!!” Knockout snapped at her, finally breaking his silence.

The girl gave a shriek of surprise and tumbled backwards onto the grass with a thump. Wide green eyes stared in silence as she gaped at the car, mouth hanging open in wordless shock. It took several moments for her mind to finally restart and begin processing again.

“H-Holy shit! You ARE real!” she gasped, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Of course, I'm _real!”_ Knockout scoffed, internally rolling his optics, “We wouldn’t be having this conversation, if I wasn't.”

“Then... Why didn't you answer me?!” she snapped, her anger flaring up momentarily.

“ _Obviously,_ I was ignoring you. Do try to keep up, fleshie.”

She huffed, but her anger was already fading, “Okay... but _why?_ _Why_ are you even here?”

Knockout sighed irritably, “Lord Megatron wanted me to keep an eye on you, but that doesn't mean I’m obligated to _talk_ to you.”

Aurora blinked owlishly, “Megatron... wanted you to watch me? W-Why?”

“I don't know! He seems to think you might be _useful_ , but I don’t see _how_. You’re just a human! A tiny, soft, fragile human. What possible use could you have to the Decepticons?”

“Wait.. He wants me to join the Decepticons?” she asked, dumbfounded.

Knockout snorted, derisively, “Being ‘useful’ doesn’t mean you’re one of us!”

Aurora frowned and got up slowly, “Sorry.. This is still so weird to me. And I know you don’t like me, but... If you’re gonna be guarding me, or babysitting me, or whatever you call it.. Then I think we should at least try to be civil and get along a little. Right?”

Knockout huffed in response.

“Look.. I think we got off on the wrong foot last time, so.. Let’s just start over, okay?” she offered and held out her hand with a smile, “Hi! I’m Aurora. It’s nice to meet you.”

The red sports car didn’t respond at all, this time.

“Um.. you’re supposed to say ‘hi’ back and tell me your name..” she prompted gently.

“This is ridiculous! You already know my name!” Knockout complained.

“That’s not the point. We’re starting over. That means re-introducing ourselves,” Aurora sighed, trying not to let the frustration into her voice.

“Fine!” the medic huffed, “Hi. My name is Knockout,” he answered in a mocking tone, “Happy, now?"

She smiled and nodded, continuing with her formal introduction, “It’s _very_ nice to meet you, Knockout. I hope we can be friends.”

Knockout groaned, “Are you finished?”

“Yes, but I would like to add that throwing in a compliment or two always helps to break the ice when meeting someone new, so… I really like your car form. It’s pretty cool and unique, and I like the gold-plated rims. They’re super fancy!”

The sports car was quiet for a moment, as though he was surprised by the genuine compliment. Knockout then made a throat-clearing sound, “Well.. at least you have good taste.. for a human.”

Aurora smiled, “That.. was actually a decent compliment. Thank you, Knockout. I think you have good taste, too,” she replied. “ _For a cybertronian._ ” she added with a wink.

That actually got a snicker out of him. He was almost starting to warm up to this girl. She seemed to share his dry wit and good taste. And the flattery didn’t hurt, either. Maybe this assignment wouldn’t be as miserable as he thought.

“Alright, Miss Aurora.. We’ll try this _your_ way. Hop in,” Knockout offered, opening his passenger door for the girl, “If we’re going to be stuck with each other, I’d much rather do it on the move. Primus knows I hate sitting still for too long.”

“Thank you,” Aurora smiled, climbing into his passenger seat, “And call me ‘Rory. All my friends do.”

“Well, then buckle up, ‘Rory... Cuz, this ride likes to go _fast!”_

\-----

“So, you guys went back after you took us home yesterday?”

Jack asked, adjusting his grip on the throttle as he and Arcee sped down the unfamiliar small-town streets. He turned his head left and right, as though looking for something, before he looked back down at the blue motorcycle.

“Yup,” Arcee replied casually, “Obviously, we weren’t just going to leave Megatron out there without checking back.”

“Right.. So, when you guys went back, was he--?” Jack trailed off, but the question was clear.

“Dead?” Arcee answered, “Don’t know. There was nothing there when we arrived. Most likely, the Decepticons found him.. whatever condition he was in.. and took him back to their ship."

“And the girl?”

“No sign of her. She either went home, or she was taken by the ‘Cons along with Megatron.”

“Okay.. and, we’re out here looking for her?”

“That’s the plan. Optimus is pretty sure this is the only place she could’ve come from.”

“Pinedale, Colorado,” Jack interjected, “You know, I’ve always wanted to see the Rockies.”

“Uh-huh.. Anyway, there’s no other towns close enough to where we found Megatron, so if she isn’t here in town..” Arcee trailed off, leaning sideways as she sped around a corner.

“Then that means the ‘Cons have her. Which is bad.” Jack finished.

“Exactly.”

“So, what does this girl even look like? I mean... w-what am I supposed to be looking for?”

Arcee hummed in thought, “Well.. she’s about your size... red hair.. green eyes, I think. Oh, and she wore this jacket that looked like a bright purple galaxy.”

“Okay... that shouldn't be too hard to spot.  I hope the others are having better luck than we are..” Jack sighed, scanning the sidewalks for any sign of this mystery girl. At that moment, a slick red sports car raced through the intersection just as they were entering it, prompting Arcee to hit the brakes. Hard.

“Whoa-hey!” Jack yelled indignantly at the car, then took a closer look at the receding tail-lights of the speeding vehicle, “Wait.. I know that car! Isn’t that--”

“Knockout.” Arcee confirmed, revving her engines as she turned to pursue.

\-----

“...Scrap!” Knockout cursed softly, adjusting his rearview mirror as the familiar blue motorcycle pulled into view behind him.

Aurora stopped her excited squealing at the sound, looking over at the empty driver’s seat, “Huh? What’s up?”

“We’ve got company,” the medic grumbled, ominously.

“What?!” Aurora turned to look out the back window, anxiously, “Oh.. it’s just some guy on a motorcycle. You had me worried! I thought it was a cop!”

“Think again, kid!” Knockout huffed, “He may not be a cop, but _that’s_ no ordinary motorcycle!”

“Huh?” Aurora turned to look again, and now she recognized it. That was the blue Autobot that had tried to take her away from Megatron!

_Oh, shit!_

\-----

Heavy footsteps echoed down the long empty corridor of the Nemesis as the Decepticon Lord slowly made his way down to the brig to deliver some long overdue retribution to a certain traitorous Seeker.

For so long, Megatron had tolerated Starscream’s constant plotting and scheming, and his over-ambitious attempts to usurp him, _only_ because it reminded him to keep his guard up and never allow himself to become too complacent or trusting of his followers. And he had learned early on that it was best to keep Starscream close, where he could more easily keep a watchful optic on him.

Of course, appointing the ambitious Seeker as his Second-in-Command had other benefits, as well. Starscream was a capable Lieutenant and a brilliant tactician, when he wasn't shooting himself in the foot with his own ego.

But, the coward had finally gone too far. First, his betrayal at the space-bridge, and then his failed attempt to extinguish Megatron’s spark when he’d discovered the warlord had survived. And now...

“Lord Megatron,” a voice spoke over his comm, halting the warlord’s thoughts and his steps, “Knockout is requesting a ground-bridge, Sir. Says he’s being pursued by an Autobot.” the trooper reported.

“Then tell him to _deal_ with it!”

“But, Sir.. He says he has a.. a human girl with him?”

_The girl?_

Megatron growled in irritation, “Well, then.. what are you _waiting_ for? Bridge him back, immediately!”

“Yes, Sir!”

Megatron sighed, irritably, “You had one job, Knockout. Watch the human and _KEEP THE AUTOBOTS AWAY FROM HER!”_

With this unexpected development, it would seem he would have to put the Seeker’s punishment on hold. And yet, the Decepticon Lord continued on his way to the brig, to pay the traitor one last visit before he delivered the final judgement.

He would check on Knockout and the girl, afterward.

\-----

The sound of heavy booming footsteps thumped down the metal corridors toward the holding cells of the brig, and Starscream’s entire frame tensed and trembled in dread. He’d know those heavy footsteps anywhere.

Megatron was coming.

Starscream knew this song and dance well. He’d defy or plot against Megatron one way or another and his fearsome master would punish him in the only way he knew the Seeker would understand. He still bore the dents and scrapes from his last punishment.

But this had been the first time Megatron had ever threatened to terminate him and MEANT IT!! Starscream had seen it in those blood-red optics; Lord Megatron had finally had enough and was fully intent on exterminating him!

If it weren't for the human’s interference, Starscream knew he would not still be here. Not that he would ever verbally acknowledge the human’s part in sparing his life. He would rather be damned to the Pits than lower himself to that level. But the footsteps were getting nearer now and he shuffled back further in his cell in anticipation of his terrifying leader’s arrival.

A personal visit from the warlord himself rarely bode well in these situations. He was either here to terminate him... or hand out some _other_ form of punishment. Of course, while a beating was more preferable to death, it was never a pleasant experience and one he rarely looked forward to.

The thumping footsteps grew ever closer and the Seeker’s wings trembled against his back. He sucked in a sharp intake and tensed when the imposing form of his leader stepped into view on the other side of the barrier of his cell.

Starscream forced himself to stand up straighter, despite every atom of his being screaming in alarm and the instinct to cower in the warlord’s presence. If this was indeed his end, then he was going to cling to whatever shred of dignity he had left.

Of course, if he felt that begging and pleading might actually save him, then _frag his dignity! He wanted to live!_ But he had a feeling that particular tactic would fail miserably and only serve to make his death even _more_ pathetic and undignified.

So, here he stood--shoulders squared, wings quaking at his back, and staring down the spark-snuffing gaze of the most powerful Cybertronian alive with an expression that barely hid his terror.

A tense silence stretched out between them as they stared across the threshold of the holding cell at one another, Megatron’s cold red optics slowly chipping away at Starscream’s resolve. His wings twitched at his back as the dignified facade began to crumble under the warlord’s steely gaze. The Seeker’s shoulders dropped into a hunch as his resolve finally shattered and he broke the uncomfortable silence with one last cheeky remark.

“I don't suppose you're... here to release me, are you?”

“No,” Megatron replied tersely.

“Right.. of course,” Starscream sighed.

“The human’s little stunt may have earned you a brief reprieve, Starscream,”  Megatron rumbled, “But make no mistake, your end _will_ come.”

A shudder rippled down Starscream’s spinal strut. The finality of that statement was clear. Megatron had made up his mind. There was no worming his way out of this one. Or was there? Starscream perked up slightly as Megatron turned to leave. Was this _not_ his execution?

“M-Master, wait!”

The warlord stopped, turning his head only slightly to address the Seeker with a tense growl.

Starscream faltered, but pressed on, “Master, I.. I don’t understand. Why did you come to see me?”

Megatron rumbled deeply, but did not answer.

“Am I.. Am I _not_ being executed today?” A flutter of hope filled Starscream’s spark. Perhaps his fate was not as final as he had thought.

An exasperated growl escaped the Decepticon leader as he turned back to face his former SiC, “Your execution has been... delayed, due to unforeseen circumstances.”

“Delayed?” Starscream echoed, “For how long? And what ‘unforeseen circumstances’ are you referring to?”

“That.. is none of your concern,” Megatron growled. “I suggest you enjoy what little time you have left, as I can assure you, you _will_ be terminated at the earliest opportunity.”

And with that, Megatron left, leaving Starscream alone to contemplate his fate. What could possibly be more important to delay his “inevitable” demise? And how could he use this opportunity to his advantage?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. I'm trying not to rush myself. There's no deadline, right? Chapters will come out as they are finished, so please be patient with me, okay? Thanks for reading. :3


	8. How the Spark Grows Fonder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! This chapter sure took a while, but it's finally done! In this part, Knockout gets to interact with Aurora a lot more and features the return of Megatron. I hope you all enjoy and look forward to the next installment. Hopefully, it won't take nearly as long to write. <3

\-----

Arcee’s engine revved loudly as she raced through the quiet streets of Pinedale in pursuit of the speeding red Decepticon, her human partner hanging on tightly to her back.

“What is Knockout even doing here?” Jack called out over the hum of her engine and the whistling wind.

“Don't know!” Arcee called back, weaving between cars as she chased down the ‘Con medic, ”But I'm willing to bet it's got something to do with our mystery girl!”

\-----

“ _Pits!_ ” Knockout cursed, swerving left and right around a couple of human vehicles, “Persistent little two-wheeler..! Where the _frag_ is that ground-bridge?!”

Aurora hung onto the back of her seat, peering out the tinted rear window at their pursuer... and wondering if it was a _real_ human being riding that motorcycle, or just some elaborate hologram. She turned to the empty driver’s seat to ask, but it was at that moment that the ground-bridge they were waiting for suddenly appeared.

“Finally!” Knockout huffed and floored the accelerator, peeling off toward the swirling portal at the end of the street. The blue motorcycle quickly fell behind as the sports car’s superior acceleration at last put some distance between them. It was just enough for them to slip through the portal before it closed on their pursuer.

Knockout slammed the brakes on the other side and they came to a sudden, screeching, tire-scorching stop in the empty corridor of the Nemesis. As white smoke billowed around the back tires, Aurora untensed her white-knuckled grip on the dashboard and took this brief moment to breathe... and allow her insides to catch up with the rest of her body. When the passenger door popped open for her, the acrid smell of burnt rubber assaulted her senses and shocked her mind back to reality. She climbed out slowly, her whole body feeling like limp spaghetti and vibrating all at once.

What had started as a thrilling joyride through her hometown had suddenly turned into an adrenaline-fueled high-speed chase, which left her breathless now that it was over.

The way Knockout had talked about his racing hobby during the ride, he had made it seem like the most exciting thing in the universe! And while that might be true, he _clearly_ didn't have to deal with the inevitable “crash” following an adrenaline high like she did. She felt exhausted and her heart was still pounding like a jackhammer. Maybe racing was fun, but being _chased_ was a whole different animal!

Behind her, Aurora heard the alien car shift and transform, returning to--what she assumed to be--his “true” form. She turned around and watched as he stretched out his limbs and then released a satisfied sigh when his metal joints popped and loosened up. He then proceeded to examine every inch of himself, meticulously.

Knockout smiled and hummed in satisfaction when he was done. “Ah.. Once again, my _flawless_ finish emerges unscathed from another victorious battle!” he cooed smugly to himself.

Aurora rolled her eyes at the display, but couldn't hide an amused grin. _Great_ , so the speed-obsessed robo-doctor turned out to _also_ be a vain, narcissistic peacock of a ‘bot! This wasn't going to be annoying _at all!_

Well, at least she could have fun teasing him... now that her heart wasn’t trying to escape her body.

“You done preening your feathers yet, Doc?” Aurora sighed with mock impatience, and the look that crossed the medic’s faceplates was priceless.

“My _what?!”_ Knockout sputtered indignantly. If he’d _had_ feathers, they would've been sufficiently ruffled at this point.

Aurora smirked up at him, one eyebrow raised in jest. “Your feathers,” she repeated, “Y’know.. ‘cuz you’re _kinda_ acting like a prissy peacock obsessed with keeping his feathers looking perfect.”

Knockout scoffed and crossed his arms, looking highly offended. “Well, _excuse me_ for having some appreciation for personal upkeep! Unlike the rest of these boors, who walk around looking like a _scrapheap_.”

“Ooh, touched a nerve!” Aurora giggled, which made the red medic scowl at her even more. “Oh, don't bust a gasket, Doc. I'm just teasing!”

“Well, I’m not amused,” Knockout grumbled.

“Aww... well, if it matters any, I _do_ think you're pretty..” she cooed, sweetly, “Pretty handsome, too.”

Knockout cracked a smile, his mood improving at the compliment, “Well, I do try.. and it's hard to deny my gloriously good looks. A mech of my calibre is almost _obligated_ to keep this lustrous finish in perfect, flawless condition!”

“Oh, _definitely!”_ Aurora giggled.

“Laugh all you want, fleshie,” the red mech crowed, smugly, “You can't deny it anymore! We both know you want this glorious aft, but I'm sorry to say that this model is _off_ _the market.”_

“Oh, really? You got a special somebody-- some.. bot?”

Knockout gave her a coy grin in response.

Aurora grinned back, “I guess you _do_ live up to your name. _Nobody_ can resist a total knockout, not even giant alien robots, it seems. So, who’s the lucky, uh.. Girl? M-mech? Do you guys even have genders? ‘Cuz Miss Blue Motorcycle sure looked and sounded like a lady when I met her the first time.”

Knockout shrugged and waved a hand dismissively, “Well, technically, no. At least, not in the _usual_ sense for you organics. There _are_ superficial differences between ‘mechs’ and ‘femmes’, but from a purely biological stance there’s really no distinction.”

“Oh, okay.. So, genderless giant alien robots who.. just happen to use gendered pronouns?”

“Pretty much. Although most cybertronians have embraced the superficial distinctions of ‘male’ and ‘female’, it’s mostly for the benefit of organics, like you humans.” Knockout explained.

Aurora nodded, satisfied by this new piece of knowledge about these giant alien robots. However...

“So.. you gonna tell me who’s the lucky ‘bot that gets to have you all to themself?”

“A gentlemech _never_ kisses and tells..” the medic purred teasingly, and then started down the corridor, “Now, come along. I’m sure Lord Megatron knows you’re here by now and he’ll probably want to see you.”

“Aww.. Knockout! Don’t leave me hanging like this! Who is it?” the girl pleaded as she trotted along beside him.

“I really don’t see how that’s any of your-- Breakdown!”

The medic called out brightly to his assistant when the mech stepped around the corner ahead of them. The blue Decepticon stopped and looked back, a smile forming on his orange faceplates at the sight of his partner.

“Hey, Knockout. Where ya been?” he greeted warmly.

“Oh, you know..” Knockout sighed, waving a hand dramatically as he approached the larger mech. Aurora followed at his side.

“Out racing?” Breakdown offered with a knowing smile.

“I _wish!_ But, no. _I_ was out on assignment. Lord Megatron wanted me to ‘babysit’ his new _pet_ ,” the medic answered, gesturing to the human at his feet with one delicate hand.

_Pet?_ Aurora thought incredulously, giving the medic an indignant side-eye, and waved awkwardly at the larger blue mech.

“A _human?”_ Breakdown frowned, giving the puny creature a once-over.

“I know. _Apparently_ , she had something to do with our Master’s rescue.” Knockout sighed, “So, what about you? I noticed you were absent during said rescue..”

“Starscream wanted me to scout a new energon deposit.”

“ _Really?_ You know, I heard that Screamer’s in the brig.. and nearly got himself executed on the spot.” Knockout cooed conspiratorially, as though he was sharing a juicy bit of gossip.

“Mm.. From what I heard, that's still a possibility.” Breakdown added with a smirk.

Knockout just shrugged, nonchalantly, “Well.. I'm sure he probably deserves it.”

“...Megatron’s going to _execute_ him?!” Aurora gasped in horror, which drew the large blue mech's attention back to her.

“Does it _always_ just talk like that?”

“Unfortunately..” the medic sighed.

Aurora frowned at Knockout, but ignored his comment. “I want to see him!” she demanded, glaring up at the red mech.

“Wh- _Stars_ cream?” Knockout scoffed, eyeing her like she was crazy.

“Yes! Take me to him! Now!”

“Bossy lil thing, ain't she..” Breakdown chuckled.

The red medic just huffed indignantly, “Look, _Missy!_ You're not in any position to be ordering me around!”

“ _Please_ , Knockout. I need to see him,” she pleaded, softening her tone and peering up at him with wide, green puppy-dog eyes.

“Oh, don't make that _face!”_ Knockout grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly.

“Knockout, _please…”_

“Aw, c’mon, Doc.. give the lil human what she wants.. what's the worst that could happen?” the big blue mech grinned.

“Don't encourage her, Breakdown!” the medic huffed.

“C’mon, Knockout.. How can ya say ‘No’ to that face? She _is_ kinda cute… for a human.”

“Ugh, I _know_ , she’s _adorable_. It's disgusting!” he grumbled, “Fine! I'll take you, but I doubt _Screamer’ll_ be too happy to see you.”

“Thank you, Knockout,” Aurora cooed sweetly, smiling up at him.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though..” Knockout replied, turning to lead the way.

Aurora started to follow, but turned back to the big blue mech. “You coming too, Breakdown?”

“Nah, I got something else to do. You two go ahead.” he chuckled, waving her off.

“Okay.” Aurora smiled back and trotted off after Knockout.

\-----

Starscream sat in the corner of his cell, brooding over his dismal fate and slowly devising a plan to circumvent it. He had not been expecting another visitation so soon after Megatron’s, however, so when he heard footsteps approaching his cell, a flash of panic erupted in his spark.

Was it too late?! Were they already coming to terminate him?!

The Seeker huddled back in his corner in fear, but the panic quickly evaporated when he saw his unexpected visitors. Starscream’s posture relaxed and he scowled at them.

“...Well, if it isn't Megatron’s little human,” Starscream sneered as he laid optics on the young girl, “And Knockout. I see our Master has saddled _you_ with the new human _pest_.”

Knockout shrugged, dismissively, “Oh, it’s not so bad.. At least, I'm not locked up.”

“Oh, aren't you just _hilarious_.. What do you want? To rub my face in it?!”

“No, that’s just a bonus,” Knockout smiled smugly, and nodded his head toward the girl, “ _She_ actually insisted on visiting you.”

Starscream started in confusion,“What? ... _Why?_ Hasn’t she done _enough_ damage?”

“ _Excuse_ me, I saved your life!” Aurora chimed in, a bit offended by the accusation.

“Oh, _did you?_ ” the Seeker sneered, “Because, as _I_ recall, you had me thrown _in_ here! Where I am to await my inevitable, albeit _delayed,_ execution! Now, tell me… _how_ did you save me?”

Aurora fell silent. He was right. She may haven’t gotten him spared at the moment, but he was still going to be executed.

“...I-I’m going to fix this…” she insisted softly, but with uncertainty.

“Oh, yes… because you _clearly_ have the mighty Lord Megatron wrapped snugly around your little fleshy digit.” the silvery mech cooed sarcastically, “Do you really think a _human_ could sway our Lord’s mind?”

“Maybe..” she answered firmly.

Starscream chuckled softly, “You really are quite _naive_. Why Megatron didn’t just squash you the first chance he got, I’ll never know. Nor do I understand why he let you onboard the ship like some... _beast_ that followed him home.” Starscream scoffed, looking away to casually inspect his claws as he spoke, “Personally, I think he’s just _bored_ and finds you fascinating. You’re _obviously_ just a curiosity to him. A new _toy._ A little _human_ plaything. He doesn’t actually _care_ about you.”

Those words stung Aurora more painfully than she might’ve thought they would, and it showed on her face when the silver mech glanced back at her with a satisfied smirk. He seemed pleased to see the pain in her eyes.

“Oh? You thought he _did?”_

Starscream’s smile turned predatory as he shifted gears and dug his metaphoric claws into her. He snickered cruelly, “Oh, how delightfully _pathetic!_ To think Lord Megatron could ever care about such a _worthless_ species. You’re just a passing novelty. Nothing more.”

“That’s.. not true,” Aurora argued, but her words held little conviction. She couldn’t be certain _how_ the warlord really felt about her. Perhaps, she _was_ just a novelty to him. No, it _had_ to be something more genuine. She had saved his life. He could’ve killed her at any time after his recovery, but... he hadn’t. And he’d spared Starscream at her insistence, when he could’ve easily have killed them _both_...

“Believe what you like, human.” Starscream cooed, “The only reason you’re still alive is because he _wants_ something from you. Even if it is merely for his own amusement.”

“Don’t listen to him, ‘Rory. Screamer’s just _jealous._ ” Knockout teased from his spot against the wall.

“ _Don’t_ call me that! And I’m NOT jealous!” Starscream snapped, his voice rising in pitch and losing its intimidating edge.

“I’m sure Lord Megatron has his reasons for keeping you around,” Knockout continued, ignoring Starscream, “And considering how unusual this is for our Lord, that makes you _quite special.”_

“The only thing _‘special’_ about her is the fact she’s still _alive_.” Starscream grumbled.

“And you soon _won’t_ be.” Knockout countered, “Sounds like jealousy to me.”

“I am _not!_ ” the Seeker huffed and glared at the scarlet medic.

Suddenly, the ship’s comms crackled to life and an all-too-familiar voice boomed overhead.

_“Knockout! Where are you?!”_ Megatron’s voice demanded impatiently.

“Uh--I-I’m right here, my liege! Just.. uh, checking on the prisoner, sir!” Knockout stammered, snapping to attention.

“Is the girl with you?”

Knockout looked back down at Aurora, who offered only a perplexed shrug. “Uh.. Yes, my liege.”

“Good. Report to the bridge... and bring the girl.” Megatron ordered.

“On my way.” Knockout sighed, “Well, it looks like our little visit is over. Best of luck, Starscream. I suppose this might be the last time we see each other.”

“You’d like that, _wouldn’t_ you.” Starscream sneered.

“I’d say ‘you’ll be missed’, but.. well... I’d be lying.”

“Just go, already! And leave me in peace.”

Knockout just shrugged and moved to leave, “Come along, Aurora. His Lordship wishes to see you.”

Aurora looked back at Starscream. “I’ll fix this... I promise.” she offered softly before turning to follow the medic.

“Best not to make promises you cannot _keep_ , little girl.” the Seeker grumbled under his breath as they departed, leaving him alone with his thoughts once more.

\-----

Knockout stepped onto the bridge with his human charge in tow. Lord Megatron stood at the far end of the chamber, his back turned to them as he looked up at the massive viewscreen.

“You called, my liege?” the medic purred in greeting as they approached the warlord.

“Knockout. Tell me.. what was it I said to you the other day?” the Decepticon Lord asked dangerously.

“Eh, about _what_ , my liege?”

Megatron looked back over his shoulder at the medic with a warning growl, his gaze flicking briefly down to the girl.

Knockout got the hint.

“Ah! Right... Something about the Autobots, if I recall. You suggested they might.. try to take the girl from us.” Knockout answered.

Aurora listened quietly to the exchange in silent curiosity, once again feeling both invisible _and_ under the spotlight as they spoke about her.

Megatron rumbled in agreement with the medic’s answer. “And what was your mission, Knockout?”

“To... watch the girl.”

“And?” Megatron prompted.

“And... uh, pro.. tect her?” the medic stammered, uncertainly.

“From..?” Megatron turned slightly to look at Knockout, the displeasure clear on his face.

“From the Autobots.. Lord Megatron,” Knockout sighed, defeatedly.

“So, tell me, Knockout. What _happened?”_

“I-I did as you asked! I stood watch _all night_ , my liege!” the red mech protested.

“It was my fault,” Aurora interrupted, “My mom.. noticed a strange car parked outside our house this morning. So, I went out to confront him.”

Megatron raised a brow ridge, regarding the human girl with mild interest. “Go on..”

She glanced up at Knockout as she continued, “I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't answer me.. I thought I was going crazy after everything that happened yesterday. So, I got mad and kicked his door.”

“ _Hmph_ , you're lucky it didn't scuff my finish!” Knockout huffed.

“Sorry.. Anyway, long story short, we finally talked and.. then went for a drive.” she finished.

“You took her _joyriding?”_ Megatron asked, pointing a disapproving glare at Knockout.

“What can I say? I love to drive, my lord.” Knockout chuckled, sheepishly.

“It was fine, until that motorcycle showed up.” Aurora insisted.

“Motorcycle?”

“ _Arcee_ , my liege.” Knockout clarified, “She must have been out looking for the girl. She and her human--”

“I’ve heard enough!” Megatron snapped, cutting off the medic and giving him a warning look at his slip; Aurora mustn’t know about the Autobots human allies. Not yet. He looked pointedly at the smaller red mech and continued, “Now.. given the circumstances of the situation, Knockout, I feel that you performed… quite admirably.”

Knockout sighed in relief. “Thank you, my liege.”

“In light of this--and seeing as the two of you _appear_ to be getting along--I am appointing you as the girl’s guardian, indefinitely.”

“Of, cour-- _W-WHAT?!_ Lord Megatron, you can’t be serious!” Knockout protested.

“Oh, but I am.. deadly, so.” Megatron rumbled, “Additionally, I have decided that it would be in the girl’s best interest that she _remain_ onboard the ship, until I decide otherwise.”

“Wait, _what?!”_ Now it was Aurora’s turn to object. “No, no, I can't _stay_ here! My parents will FREAK if I don't come home!”

“My decision is final,” the warlord rumbled, threateningly.

“Lord Megatron, with all due respect, the warship is not equipped to house a _human!_ I mean, where is she going to stay? And you realize we’ll have to feed her and-- Do you even know _what_ humans eat? _I_ don’t!” Knockout argued.

“Then perhaps you should conduct a bit of _research_ , Doctor. You _are_ responsible for her now.” Megatron countered, turning back to face the viewscreen again.

“But, my liege!”

“You are dismissed, _Doctor_.”

Knockout sputtered in protest, then sighed in defeat. “Yes, my liege. Come on, ‘Rory.. let’s go find you someplace to stay.”

Aurora hesitated, looking back at the Decepticon Lord. There was something she needed to discuss with him. “Wait.. Megatron..” she called out softly.

He glanced back over his shoulder, mouth twitching at the informal address, “Yes..?” he growled, irritably.

“May I speak with you.. in private?” she asked.

Megatron paused, looking toward Knockout. “Doctor..”

“I’ll... go get started on that _research_.” Knockout answered, excusing himself.

With the medic’s exit, the remaining troops on the bridge were quietly dismissed, leaving the pair alone. Megatron then turned back toward the viewscreen and prompted the girl to speak.

“You have my attention. Do not waste it.”

Aurora sighed nervously, finding herself suddenly anxious in the warlord’s presence.

“It’s about... Starscream.” she began carefully, moving to stand in front of him as she peered up at his massive, hulking frame... and once again realizing just _how small_ she was to him.

Megatron glanced down at her, a brow ridge raised in curiosity. “Really? And what about him?”

“Is it true? Are you really going to.. execute him?”

“That is none of your concern,” Megatron rumbled, “But, yes.. I _do_ intend to terminate him.”

“But _why?_ You promised not to kill him!”

“I did no such thing!” Megatron snapped, “Your little stunt merely bought him a _brief_ reprieve from my wrath!”

Aurora flinched at the warlord’s outburst, and recalled the Seeker’s earlier words:

 

_“He doesn’t actually_ **care** _about you. You’re just a passing novelty..”_

 

Maybe, he was right. Megatron was an ancient alien general, who’d seen more war and violence than she _ever_ would in her entire life... She was probably as fleeting and insignificant to him as an insect would be to her.

“Why the sudden concern for that traitorous coward?” the warlord inquired, his tone softening, “His fate is more than deserved. This is not the _first_ time he has betrayed me.”

“I just thought... that there might be a better way to deal with him.” the young woman sighed, dropping her gaze to the metal floor at her feet. “Death just seems so... extreme.”

“It is nothing less than he deserves.”  Megatron assured her, “He _has_ been trying to take my throne for _centuries_ , after all.” he added, and his spark pulsed uncomfortably as he recognized the similarities to Orion Pax that he now saw in her; that _oh-so-noble_ desire to preserve life, even in those unworthy of it. The sensation _writhed_ inside his spark-chamber, like the twin serpents of Hatred and Regret coiling together, and he struggled to conceal this inner turmoil to maintain his impassive exterior.

Aurora looked back up at him, curiously, “But.. if that’s true... then why didn’t you kill him back then? Why keep him around if he’s so disloyal to you?”

The Decepticon Lord sighed heavily, and he felt the millenia’s worth of finely constructed emotional walls beginning to crack and crumble as he found himself, little by little, opening up to the human girl. This _girl_ , who had an unusual knack for getting under his armor in ways he couldn't even begin to fathom. It was frankly _terrifying_ , and yet somehow.. liberating.

“I’ve been asking myself that very question for some time, now.” he answered softly, “In the beginning, it was because he was too valuable to our cause. But, after Cybertron went dark...” the warlord rumbled deeply, pausing in thought.

Eons of war came flooding back to his processor. In those early cycles, when he was young and naive, trust had come easily. He had surrounded himself with loyal followers and those he had trusted. But that first sting of betrayal... when Orion had stolen his glory and taken his words, twisting them into his own vision and manipulating the council into making _HIM_ Prime!

It had cut him to his very core and turned the young revolutionary’s spark cold.

Then along came Starscream, a brilliant young flier with a mind and spark to rival his own. Trust had become a rare commodity for Megatron and few would ever again earn it, but there was something about Starscream that had set him apart from his peers.

“I suppose..” Megatron began, “If I were to be completely honest with myself, I’d have to admit that I was.. impressed by his ambition. Perhaps, I was even reminded of myself. But, whatever hopes I may have had for him have long since been crushed by his treachery.”

“He was your Second-in-Command..” Aurora realized, softly, “That’s a lot of responsibility and.. _unspoken_ trust to put in someone you don’t _actually_ trust.”

“Indeed..” Megatron agreed in a weary tone, “ _Too_ much, it would seem.” He peered down at her, this tiny creature who reminded him so much of his former friend, whom he now hated with every ounce of his spark.

Well, _nearly_ every ounce.. for it seemed some small part of him still missed their friendship. At least, enough for him to not outright _despise_ the similar traits he now saw reflected in the young human girl. While he still considered such notions to be childishly naive, it was not what had made him hate Orion. He could forgive such a naive ideology. It was the betrayal that had hurt him most, that his former friend had dared to speak for him and argue against his methods.. _in front of the council!_ Such concerns should have been addressed in _private!_ Even though they had often debated the necessity of force to bring about equality, Megatron had never expected his friend to oppose him so openly. _Especially_ , during such an important meeting with the council! No matter how much they disagreed on his methods, _that_ was an unforgivable offense in Megatron’s eyes.

And now, his once-noble desire to lead his people to equality as Prime had transformed into an insatiable thirst for power, by _any_ means necessary. All because Orion had chosen to contradict him at the worst possible moment! Megatron didn’t often reflect on his past actions, as such a thing often led to feelings of self-doubt and regret. Feelings he was determined to avoid at all costs, as they served little purpose in achieving his ambitions of one day ruling over Cybertron as he had always been destined to do.

However, with Cybertron now a lifeless husk, achieving such a thing seemed pointless. For who would want to rule over a dead world? So it was, that he had turned his thirst for conquest toward this tiny blue world called Earth. It was no Cybertron, but with the hope of restoring his devastated homeworld to its former glory in the wake of this endless war all but lost, perhaps Earth could serve as a _new_ home for Cybertronians. If only it wasn’t currently occupied by organic life.

Megatron’s thoughts once again returned to the human girl at his feet. He had never held much love for organic life, deeming it inferior to mechanical life, but such views were suddenly being challenged by this.. _human_ , who had somehow burrowed her way beneath his emotional armor to touch his spark. It both intrigued and disgusted him how _easily_ such an inferior life-form had bypassed his defences, like an emotional parasite penetrating into his softest vulnerabilities. He felt a sudden resentment toward the human at this comparison. This.. growing fondness he felt for the girl was becoming dangerous. Perhaps, it was for the best that he had chosen to distance himself from her by entrusting her care to the medic. He could not allow her to exploit his affection for her, lest the crack in his armor widen and expose this weakness to his enemies.

“You’re still going to kill him... aren’t you.” Aurora sighed, pulling him from his thoughts once more. It wasn't a question, but a realization.

“Yes..” he answered gently, but firmly, and paused. “Unless..” he offered carefully, “..you have a good reason why I should spare his life?”

The girl peered up at him in uncertainty, as though surprised at his offer of leniency. But Megatron was not completely devoid of mercy or compassion, he simply chose to act upon it _only_ when it was useful or necessary.

Aurora stuttered and tripped over her tongue as she tried to formulate a response.. or an argument in defense of Starscream’s life.

“Uh.. well, um.. you.. you said earlier that, uh.. that he was.. valuable to your cause, right? So, wouldn't keeping him imprisoned be enough? I mean.. h-he could still be useful, right?”

_That_ was her best argument?

Megatron chuckled softly in amusement, immediately forgetting his previous resentment. He would still need to be careful around her, of course, but surely he could allow himself to take _some_ joy in his new asset’s company. Primus knows he had very little of that as of late.

As for her argument, he couldn't help but compare her to his former friend. Surely, _Orion_ would've had a far more noble answer about how “all life had value” and not how said life could benefit him, personally. It amused him how similar, yet vastly different, the two were. Orion, now _Optimus_ , had always been rather eloquent in his speech and his ideals. This girl, on the other hand, was humorously inarticulate and brash. It was refreshingly different.

“Weeell, in that case.. I shall _have_ to reconsider my decision to terminate the traitor, won't I? After all, how can one argue with such _sound_ logic and reasoning?” he teased, the amusement in his voice as clear as a bell. Aurora pouted at his teasing, which only amused him more.

Of course, she wasn't _wrong_. Starscream was more valuable to him alive than dead, but that didn't make him any less of a threat. Nor did his budding affection for the girl blind him to the risks of granting Starscream yet _another_ chance for redemption, but it _did_ make him reconsider his decision to put an end to the Seeker, once and for all.

“Very well,” he sighed, the amusement gone from his voice, “I shall take your concerns into consideration and reevaluate my decision. But be warned, that should I still choose to terminate Starscream, any and all further attempts to change my mind or interfere, will no longer be tolerated. Is that clear?” he growled, giving the girl a hard and stern expression. The time for gentleness was over. She had to learn that his authority would not be ignored.

Aurora nodded and bowed her head, respectfully. “Yes.. _Lord Megatron_. I understand. Thank you for listening.”

Megatron smiled, pleased with her obedience and the acknowledgement of his title. _Excellent_.. perhaps this arrangement would work out for the best, _after all._


	9. To Sleep With Lions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter took a long time to write, but it's done! So, enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I really appreciate all the comments. I read them all even if I can't reply to all of them.

\-----

After her conversation with the Decepticon Lord, Aurora had been returned to the medic’s care by a Vehicon trooper, where she was eventually set up with her temporary accommodations; inside an unused medical cabinet in the med-lab. While small by cybertronian standards, it was quite spacious for a human, large enough to house nearly all of her required necessities.

Speaking of necessities, it would seem that Knockout’s “research” had been quite fruitful. He’d managed to acquire almost everything she would need to be comfortable on the _Nemesis_... by raiding a furniture warehouse, apparently. There was even a handful of, _thankfully_ , unused porta-potties for her “horribly inefficient waste-disposal” needs.

_Thanks_ , Knockout.

As for her dietary needs, the troopers had brought her:

An entire pallet of canned beans; several crates of various fruits and vegetables; dozens of loaves of bread; and an entire live COW!

Apparently, that was a cybertronian’s idea of supplying the four food groups; meat/protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and grains. She wasn't entirely sure if they expected her to just milk the cow, or kill it and eat it as well, considering the huge supply of beans she’d been provided.

Of course, none of this was ideal, but she wasn't going to complain _too_ much. Okay, the cow was a bit ridiculous, but she at least had a comfy bed and some very basic essentials. And this wasn't going to be permanent. A day or two, maybe a week at most, right? She could deal with this. Megatron just wanted to keep her safe. She could appreciate that, considering she had no idea what these “Autobots” were even about. Like.. Megatron was pretty clear about his and the Decepticons’ intentions. They just wanted to quietly gather this essential element they called energon, and put an end to this war they were fighting.

But what about the Autobots? What was their deal? Hunting down their enemy like a wounded animal to.. what? Kill him? Take him prisoner? It sure didn’t seem like they were too eager to take him alive. And what were they going to do with _her?_ Sure, that lady ‘bot _said_ she wasn’t going to hurt her, but then why snatch her away like that? Did they really think Megatron was going to kill her?

Aurora had so many questions still unanswered about the nature of this war between the two factions. Megatron had told her quite a bit, but there was still so much that she didn’t understand yet. Like _why_ the Autobots would want to take her away from the Decepticons. They hadn’t done anything to harm her. Well, other than Megatron’s initial reaction to her, but she really couldn’t blame him. He was alone and wounded. It made sense that he would lash out violently at this “strange creature” invading his personal space. He didn’t know if he could trust her yet. It was completely understandable.

As for his treatment of Starscream, there was clearly a lot of hostility already present in their history. And who was she to judge the relationships of, like, million-year-old beings who had been fighting a war for longer than she’d even been alive, longer than humanity had even existed? Not to mention that Starscream was apparently responsible for Megatron nearly perishing at the hands of their enemy. She’d be pretty pissed off, too! And it wasn’t like execution was an unusual punishment for treason in military law... as far she understood it on Earth, at least.

So, who was right in all of this? Was there even such a thing as the “right side” in _any_ war? It was certainly a lot to think about and there was plenty of time for her to do that now. Sitting on the bed in her temporary home, the cabinet open to the vast expanse of the med-lab, she quietly watched the red-coloured medic that was now her “official” guardian as these thoughts and more filled her mind.

Knockout glanced up from his workstation to catch the girl staring at him and let out an irritated, “What?”

“Oh.. nothing. I was just thinking. Was I staring?” Aurora answered, self-consciously.

“A bit,” Knockout replied, a hint of teasing in his voice. “Might I ask what you were thinking about? I know I can be _quite_ distracting, after all,” he grinned.

Aurora giggled, “Sorry, Knockout. I wasn’t thinking about _you._ ”

“Oh. Well, then I don’t care,” he dismissed, playfully.

“I was just thinking about.. Well, _everything,_ ” she continued, “About the Decepticons and the Autobots, this whole thing going on between you guys, and where I fit into all of it, I guess.”

“Ah.. I see.”

“Also, uh.. Can I mention that I.. don’t _need_ a whole cow?” Aurora added as the animal came up behind her and began chewing on her hair.

“Oh, thank Primus! I was _really_ not looking forward to having TWO filthy organics messing up my lab.. Er, no offense, ‘Rory,” Knockout replied.

“No, I don’t blame you. I wasn’t looking forward to living with a cow, either,” she said, and giggled as its tongue tickled behind her ear.

“Good. I’ll get one of the drones to dispose of it. Though, it does beg the question; what DO you need, exactly? Frankly, _I_ thought the drones did a swell job of acquiring the _basics_.”

“Oh! No, I mean.. It’s fine.. Mostly. It’s not... _ideal_ , but I can manage. Though, I would’ve liked to have done my _own_ grocery shopping. But, since I’m kinda not allowed to leave the ship right now… This is fine,” Aurora tried to assure the medic, but she was less than convincing.

“Hm.. Perhaps, _I_ can assist with that,” Knockout offered.

“How?”

“Well, as your _guardian_ , it’s my duty to keep you safe, correct?” Knockout explained.

“Uh-huh..”

“And I’ve already proven I can do that OUTSIDE of the ship. So, _obviously_ you’d be perfectly safe with me if I were to, say, take you out on a quick... supply run?” he purred smugly.

“Wait.. you wanna sneak me off the ship _just_ so I can go shopping?” Aurora asked.

“Well, not when you put it like _that,”_ Knockout huffed.

“Won't Lord Megatron be mad that I left the ship?”

“Only if he finds out. Which he shouldn't if we do this right. So... are you in?” he inquired with gleeful mischief.

“I don't know.. Going behind Megatron’s-- I mean, _Lord_ Megatron’s back doesn't seem like such a good idea to me. I've seen his temper and he’s got _serious_ anger issues. I’d rather not add to it,” Aurora replied.

Knockout sighed impatiently, “Look, we've _all_ seen His Lordship’s anger. And granted, it isn't--ahm... _pretty..._ to be on the receiving end of such, but I'm trying to _help_ you. If Lord Megatron _were_ to find out, it would be MY aft on the line, anyway. So, a _little_ appreciation of my generosity would be nice. I don't stick my neck out for just anyone, you know,” the medic grumbled.

“Knockout.. I think it's sweet of you to offer, but I don't want you to get in trouble, either,” she tried to explain.

“Hmph! Well, fine.. _don't_ accept my help,” he huffed, crossing his arms and turning his back to her.

Aurora frowned. “It’s really not a big deal, Knockout. I don't _NEED_ to go shopping. I can make due with this.. I appreciate the offer, I really do, but it’s not worth getting either of us in trouble.”

“Fine, fine. We can _pretend_ you're just being considerate, alright?” Knockout grumbled, unwilling to admit that she was right.

“Please, don’t be mad, Knockout..” Aurora sighed, getting up off the bed, “Your offer is very generous, but you don’t need to get yourself into trouble for me. What kind of person would I be if I let you do that?”

Knockout glanced back at her with a curious look and said, “...The Decepticon kind.”

“What?”

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, ‘Rory, but there’s not a whole lot of camaraderie among we Decepticons. At least... not lately,” he replied, turning back to face her with a dramatic sigh, “I suppose, being at war for so long tends to breed resentment among the troops. And with a Commander like _Starscream_ , that’s unsurprising, I suppose,” he added with a bitter tone.

“Oh.. I did notice you and he.. don't seem to get along,” Aurora admitted softly.

“Good. I certainly wasn’t trying to be _subtle_ about it. Starscream can be.. _difficult_ to deal with. He’s arrogant and rude more often than not, frankly, and the way he toadies to Lord Megatron is downright nauseating. And don’t even get me _started_ on that paint-job; it’s even duller than he is,” the medic grumbled.

“You _really_ don't like him.”

“No, I do not.”

And that was the end of that conversation.

Knockout went back to his duties and Aurora went back to.. sitting on the bed. It wasn't more than fifteen minutes before a drone arrived to remove her bovine roommate and hopefully return her to whatever field she’d been snatched from. After that, there was little else for Aurora to do. She tried futilely to text her parents to let them know she wouldn't be home for a while, until Knockout informed her that there was no wifi or cell-phone signals this high up, nor would they be able to get through the ship’s cloaking field. So, that was a waste of time. She eventually just settled on playing some mobile games that didn’t require internet access.

Aurora ended up spending the rest of the day in her makeshift room, playing phone games and chatting idly with Knockout when he wasn't too busy. Breakdown visited for a short while, too, and happily conversed with her when the Doc got bored of it. He was certainly curious of their human guest, asking her just as many questions about humans as she did about cybertronians.

But morning quickly turned into afternoon, then afternoon slipped into evening, and soon her first full day aboard the _Nemesis_ was coming to an end. The reality of spending the night onboard an alien ship among giant alien robots was now starting to sink in and it left a nervous knot in her stomach. She knew so very little about these alien beings and now she was going to be sleeping among them.

The lamb among the lions.

It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but her animal brain wouldn't let her forget how small and fragile she was to them. And how vulnerable she’d be asleep. Those natural instincts made her feel uneasy as night settled over the _Nemesis_.

She glanced at her phone again: 9:30pm. It was most likely dark outside now, assuming they were still in the same time-zone. Actually, she had no idea _where_ the _Nemesis_ was currently. It could be anywhere in the world, for all she knew. Hell, it could be in orbit and she probably wouldn’t know it. That thought made the knot in her stomach twist tighter. But she was safe here, wasn’t she? No one had tried to hurt her. In fact, they’d gone out of their way to make her feel comfortable. There was nothing to be afraid of. Megatron wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.

Speaking of Megatron, it was around 9:45 when the Decepticon Lord stepped into the med-lab, unannounced.

“L-Lord Megatron!” Knockout greeted in surprise, “H-how may I assist you, my liege?”

“How is our.. _guest_ settling in?” the warlord inquired, casually.

“Eh.. I believe she is doing so quite well, my lord,” the medic answered, directing his leader’s attention toward the girl’s temporary accommodations, “I’ve acquired everything she needs to be comfortable.. Er, to the best of my abilities, of course,” he added, nervously.

Aurora climbed off the bed and stood at attention as Megatron approached the medical cabinet, giving him a respectful half-bow. “Good evening, Lord Megatron,” she greeted formally, the knot in her stomach twisting in a far less uncomfortable manner than before. A nervous, fluttery sort of energy radiated out from the center of her chest as she gazed up at the massive Decepticon Lord.

Ever since her discussion with the warlord about Starscream’s fate, she had begun to feel uneasy in his presence, but... not in a fearful way. There was something _else_ setting her nerves on edge, yet she couldn’t quite identify it. However, peering up at him now, from somewhere just below the curve of his broad chest, the unease felt more akin to... shyness? Strange.. While she could sometimes be a bit introverted, she was hardly _shy_. And she certainly hadn’t been shy with Megatron when she was saving his life out in the forest. Yet, now her stomach felt full to bursting with fluttering butterflies!

Megatron, however, regarded her coolly, an optic ridge twitching upward slightly at her stiff posture and unsettled demeanor.

“Are you.. uncomfortable?” he inquired carefully.

“N-no..” she responded softly, dropping her gaze to his broad chest-plates to avoid his optics.

“Are you certain?” he pressed, optic ridge raising higher as he analyzed her odd behavior.

“I.. I’m just a little.. nervous, I guess,” she admitted, flicking a look back up at his face, “F-first time spending the night on an alien warship and all..” she added, and let out a nervous laugh.

“Mm.. of course,” he conceded, and seemed satisfied with her answer. It was, after all, understandable for her to have reservations about letting down her guard in such an unfamiliar environment. He had felt the same way back in that forest. A sliver of concern suddenly twinged in his spark as a thought occurred to him. “Will you be.. _comfortable_ enough here to recharge?” he asked, his voice low and soft.

“You mean ‘sleep’? Yeah, I.. I think I’ll manage..” Aurora answered, hesitantly. To be honest, she wasn’t sure _how_ well she’d be able to sleep, right now.

Megatron rumbled softly, noticing the hesitation in her answer, and cast a glance toward Knockout, “Would you, perhaps.. be more comfortable in more _familiar_ company..?” he offered carefully.

Aurora followed his gaze to Knockout, angling her head curiously. “You mean.. with him?”

“Ah- _yes_..” Megatron stammered, “With Knockout..” He had actually been referring to himself, but now realized that it would be... _questionable_.

“..My liege?” the medic started in confusion. “Are you really suggesting that I.. take her to my _personal_ quarters?”

Megatron turned to face the shiny red mech, a tight frown on his faceplates. “Were you planning to leave her _alone_ in the med-lab?” he countered sternly.

“Eheh.. I.. Well, that is--” Knockout flustered.

“Then it’s settled,” the warlord growled.

“Uh… A-actually..” Aurora piped in hesitantly, drawing their attention back to her, “I’d much rather.. go with _you_ , Lord Megatron,” she finished softly, with the nervous flutter of butterfly wings tickling her insides.

Optic ridges rose sharply as the warlord stared back at her in surprise, before composing himself with a gravelly growl of his vocalizer. “Well.. I.. suppose I can.. accommodate that..” he answered haltingly. Knockout gave him an incredulous look, which the warlord returned with a glare that told him to _keep his mouth shut about this!_

“Really? You’re.. sure that’s okay?” Aurora asked.

“It is.. highly unusual. But if you feel it will help you.. _sleep_ , then I am willing to oblige,” Megatron answered carefully, “You _are_ our guest here, after all. I would not want you to feel... _uncomfortable,_ ” he clarified, eyeing the medic as he spoke.

Knockout raised his hands in defense, replying, “Whatever you say, my liege..!”

Megatron rolled his optics in annoyance and held out a clawed hand to the girl, “Shall I bring your... ‘bed’, as well?” he inquired as she climbed carefully into his waiting palm.

“Uh, yes, please..” she answered, settling onto his hand and grabbing one large claw for stability. She watched as Megatron scooped up her entire bed in his other hand and hung on tightly as he turned back towards the exit. Looking back at Knockout, she offered a sheepish smile and mouthed a silent “sorry,” as though to apologize for “ _abandoning_ ” him and the carefully crafted accommodations he’d made for her.

Knockout just rolled his optics and gave her a dismissive wave as he tried to hide the amused grin on his face. There was just something so _ridiculous_ about watching the “mighty” Lord Megatron doting on this tiny human girl as though she was some all-important dignitary. The Decepticon Lord was _rarely_ so accommodating, and despite his attempts to conceal it, the perceptive eye of the Chief Medical Officer could see _just_ how out-of-his-element His Lordship was around this young woman. It almost gave one.. _ideas._

\-----

It was quiet when Megatron stepped out of the med-lab into the empty corridor, his tiny guest in hand. The ship had apparently entered what could be called a “night-mode”; the lights were dimmed to simulate twilight, and activity on the ship was at a lull. In fact, Aurora saw far fewer drones on duty as Megatron carried her through the halls. She hadn't really considered before now whether or not cybertronians had to sleep or if they had a different scale of time compared to Earth, to which they had to adapt. It was certainly something to think about. As foreign as all this seemed to her, the same could be said about Earth and humanity from a cybertronian perspective. She was as much an alien to _them_ as they were to _her_. It was a small comfort.

Time passed by quietly as Megatron carried her through the lengthy halls of the _Nemesis_ toward their destination. In the silence, her thoughts drifted back to the more pressing topic of her current situation; her indefinite confinement to the ship, and her parents’ ignorance of the situation. Time was running out to let them know she was safe before they started panicking about her absence, and that could have disastrous consequences for her when she was finally allowed to go home. It was a delicate issue that needed to be addressed as soon as possible.

Aurora decided that _now_ was as good a time as any.

“Lord Megatron?” Her soft voice gently broke the silence, prompting a curious rumble of acknowledgement from the Decepticon Lord as he glanced down at her, “I was wondering.. how long do I have to stay here?”

“Until I am certain it is safe for you to return home,” he answered shortly, as though he had practiced it.

“..Right. It’s just.. if I’m gone too long, my parents will start to worry. They’ll call the police and start a search for me. Not to mention how much trouble I’ll be in when I _do_ go home..”

Megatron was quiet for a moment as he looked down at the girl in his hand. “Hm... I had not considered the.. consequences your absence might have.. however, my decision stands.”

“Oh, no.. I'm not questioning your decision, Lord Megatron,” Aurora insisted gently, “I just want to let my parents know I'm safe. I’ve.. been trying to contact them.”

Megatron raised a brow ridge at that admission, “I see.. so, I take it you’ve been unsuccessful in that attempt.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “I was hoping you could.. fix that?” she asked with a hopeful note.

“Mm.. I suppose it would be best to avoid raising any concern about your absence from your.. local community,” Megatron replied carefully, “Very well, I will have Soundwave arrange a means for you to contact your... _parents_ and put to rest any concerns they may have about your safety during your.. stay.”

Aurora sighed in relief and smiled up at him, “Thank you..”

Megatron did not respond to her expression of gratitude, but she swore she saw the corner of his mouth curl upward slightly. Instead, he simply said: “I trust you will not reveal our existence to anyone..”

“Oh, of course not! I don't think anyone would believe me, anyway,” Aurora answered with a soft laugh.

“Indeed..” Megatron replied, and this time she _definitely_ saw a brief smile on the warlord’s face. And there were those butterflies, again. Oh, my..

Aurora tried to ignore the fluttery sensation as they soon arrived at their destination.

Sensing Megatron’s presence, the door obediently opened for them and revealed the small room inside: the Decepticon Lord’s private quarters. The room was.. surprisingly familiar in its design. There was a large metal slab, low to the floor on the right side of the room, that looked almost like a.. bed? And on the other side, against the far left wall, was another metal surface that resembled a sort of desk. In fact, the whole room was not unlike a human bedroom. Or what one might expect a bedroom to look like on a spaceship.

_His_ bedroom.

Before she could even think about the implications of that thought, she was suddenly being deposited onto the metal desk, along with her bed. She stood there in a daze for a good thirty seconds before her mind caught up and she suddenly realized he was watching her.

“I hope this is.. sufficient..” he rumbled awkwardly.

“Huh? Oh! Y-yeah! This is fine..” she stammered, feeling just as awkward, “Um, thank you.. again.. for letting me, uh.. sleep with-- I mean, _here_ .. with you..” she trailed off. _God, that came out so wrong!_

“Yes.. well..” Megatron cleared his vocalizer roughly, “I shall leave you to your... rest.” And he turned to depart.

“Wait! You’re leaving?”

Megatron stopped and looked back at her, “No, but it is still early and I have reports to review. I shall not be far, if you need anything.”

“Oh.. alright.”

“Was there... something you needed?” he asked softly.

“Uh, actually.. yeah. Would it be possible for me to contact my parents now? To let them know I’m safe?”

“Mm.. of course. I shall have Soundwave open a channel for you,” and he looked away as he spoke into his comm, “Soundwave, open a secure channel. Our ‘guest’ wishes to send a personal message to her.. _parents."_  After a moment, he nodded and turned back to her. “You should be able to reach them, now.”

Aurora blinked and pulled out her phone, finding all four bars of her cell signal available, and she smiled up at him, “Thank you..”

“You’re welcome. Rest well.. Aurora,” he replied, and the soft smile he gave her made her stomach twist into fluttering knots.

“Goodnight..” she responded softly as he turned away, scooped up a datapad from a side-table, and sat down on his metal bed to read over the day’s reports.

Aurora turned back to her borrowed bed and, slipping off her shoes, crawled into the comfortable warmth of the covers. As she settled in, she peered across the metal surface at the Decepticon Lord across the room. Something had changed since their last encounter, but at least she felt safe here with him. Safe enough to sleep. Laying back down and snuggling under the covers, she pulled up her phone to send her parents a brief, but reassuring text:

  _♡Aurora♡_ , _9:52 PM:_ _staying with friends. am safe. don’t wait up. ttyt. ilu. ♡♡♡_

And then allowed herself to drift off to sleep.


	10. Midnight Musings (Of A Decepticon Lord)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron gets distracted. Has some thoughts. That's it.

\-----

Strings of cybertronian text scrolled past as Lord Megatron skimmed through the daily logs and status reports from their various mining operations, barely focused on his task. It was tedious work, and every now and then his attention would drift, and he’d glance up from the datapad at the source of his distraction: the young human female asleep on his desk, curled up in her soft, warm bedding.

It was such an unusual sight, and an even stranger situation that he now found himself in.

He had never really _liked_ the inhabitants of this planet, these ‘human beings’. They were such unremarkable creatures; soft and fragile, and devoid of all of the most basic defences. They did not possess claws, or teeth sharp enough to inflict any significant damage. They had no shell to protect their soft, vulnerable bodies. Their physical strength was minimal, at best; and they were neither venomous, nor poisonous. It really was a wonder how they ever became the dominant species on this planet. They were weak and fragile... yet, they had somehow crawled their way out of the muck to build cities and civilizations.

Perhaps their only saving grace _was_ their capacity for higher intelligence... compared to their more _primitive_ relatives, at least.

Still, this human girl was nothing remarkable, even for her species. And yet, by some miracle of circumstance, she had managed to capture his interest... and--more surprisingly--his spark. He was reluctant to admit that last part even to himself, but the more time he spent near the girl, the less he could deny the effect she had on him. He was intrigued-- _fascinated_ by her, and yet wary of this feeling she evoked in him. Even now, he was analyzing it, dissecting the circumstances that had led up to this point, wondering _where_ and _when_ and _how_ the girl had hooked her claws into him.

How could such an inconsequential creature have had such a profound effect on him?

Megatron thought back to that first initial encounter; only a single orbital cycle prior, but which now felt like centuries ago. He had not given the inciting incident much thought since returning to the warship, but somewhere in that brief ordeal, the girl had made an impression on him. It was the only thing of consequence that now stuck in his mind after the incident, despite all the pain he’d endured--but then, pain and suffering was nothing new to him. He had suffered far worse during his time in the gladiator pits of Kaon. But the girl... Now that was something altogether different. Whether it was due to her stubborn and reckless display of compassion and kindness toward him, or his impaired state at the time, he could not be certain. However, there was one thing of which he _was_ certain: that he would NOT be getting any more work done in his current state of mind.

Setting down the datapad, he vented softly and allowed his attention to turn fully towards the subject of his human guest. _Hmph,_ “guest” was a rather generous term, considering that he was now essentially holding her prisoner under the guise of safety. To be honest, he wasn’t sure what to do with her. Of course, he didn't want her falling into the hands of the Autobots, but beyond that, he had no idea. Well.. no, not quite. He had some _vague_ ideas, but nothing fully formed.

While having three human children on their side had certainly proven to be advantageous for the Autobots--on _numerous_ occasions--he was uncertain how the Decepticons could make use of a human ally. What advantage could it _possibly_ provide against the Autobots?

Humans were _small_ , which could indeed be useful under specific circumstances, but they were also soft and fragile. Utterly useless in a combat situation. Then.. perhaps espionage? A human spy _might_ prove useful. The Autobots did have a soft spot for humanity. Perhaps, he could exploit that weakness. Hmm, but that would mean allowing her to “fall” into Autobot hands. He wasn't so sure he was prepared to part with her, just yet.

Somewhere in his musings, without realizing, he had made his way over to the desk, where the girl laid curled up in her human nest of a bed. And now he simply stood there, quietly observing the tiny lump as she peacefully slept.

_What a fragile, vulnerable thing.._ he mused silently. So small and fragile that he could _easily_ crush her with one hand. And yet, she had chosen to stay with him and let him witness this vulnerability... _trusted_ him to keep her safe. It had been a long time since anyone had trusted him so completely, and longer still that he had not taken advantage of it.

Trust; it felt.. familiar. Long-forgotten, but familiar.

As he continued to watch the sleeping girl, he settled himself carefully into the seat beside the desk, taking care not to disturb her. It was odd, this fascination he had with the girl. It was almost beginning to border on... _obsessive_. But, for now, he chose to indulge the feeling; savoring this rare opportunity to observe the girl in her purest, most vulnerable state. There was something.. _peaceful_ about it.

How long had it been since he had felt at _peace_ , like that? Too long, he knew... _far_ too long.

Crimson optics swept slowly over the girl's still form, bundled beneath layers of thick soft fabric, her chest rising and falling subtly as she breathed. Fiery-red locks of gently curled hair fell haphazardly around her face, set free from the tied back form she had kept them in. As he studied her silently, he felt a sudden inexplicable urge to brush the fiery curls away and lifted a clawed hand to do so... but paused in hesitation. He did not want to wake her and ruin this strangely intimate moment, but gentleness did not come naturally to him.

After a brief internal struggle, he reached out and with strained, uncharacteristic caution, gingerly swept the soft red curls from her cheek with the point of one large trembling claw. He vented softly in relief when she did not stir or wake, and quickly withdrew his hand.

Well.. with that strange and unusual urge satisfied for the moment, Megatron decided it was best to end this little... distraction and get back to his work. Even if that meant taking his work elsewhere. It was becoming clear that the girl’s presence was needlessly diverting his attention, and the only obvious solution was to remove himself from her vicinity. So, he stood, returned to the berth to collect the datapad from where he’d left it, and exited the room.

As the doors slid shut behind him with a dull thunk, he paused and let out a soft sigh. If the girl continued to be so distracting, it was going to become a serious problem for him. But for now, he would do his best to ignore her and focus on his work. Perhaps a bit of distance would ease the situation and put her out of his mind. _One could only hope_ , he thought as he slowly set out down the corridor and pulled up the reports once more to peruse as he wandered aimlessly through the quiet ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is so short. I've been working hard on the story, but I've been getting rather distracted myself. I figured this was decent enough for a chapter, though, and I didn't want to pad it out too much or throw in anything that could easily be in another chapter. Really, this one is just an opportunity to look into Megatron's thoughts again and explore his developing... feelings? ...for our little human protagonist, Aurora. Wait.. is she the protagonist? I guess she HAS become the focus of the story. Oops!


	11. Into The Reeds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features a song toward the end. I thought it fit in nicely.  
> If you're unfamiliar with the song I chose, you can check it out [here:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9JxAQqtxkg)  
> Other than that, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. <3

\-----

Waking up in a strange place for the first time can often be scary or disorienting as the sleeping mind slowly catches up with reality and must suddenly reconcile the departure from expectation.

Such was the case when Aurora first awoke aboard the Nemesis that morning and was met with the sight of a giant metal room instead of her comfortable and familiar bedroom back home. For several terrifying moments she had forgotten where she was and started to panic. But the events of the previous two days slowly returned to her groggy mind and her heartbeat slowed, the terror faded, and she was left feeling tired... and a tiny bit confused.

Was she still in Megatron's room? If so, where was he? And what time was it? She pulled out her phone from under the pillow to check the time: 7:39 AM. Okay... She then noticed several text notifications from her mother's phone, sent almost immediately after her reassuring text last night. She also noticed her battery was at 40%. Not good. She would need to charge it soon, which was going to be difficult, if not impossible, on an alien warship with alien technology.

That would have to wait, however, as her mother's angry texts needed to be addressed first. She reluctantly opened the first notification: 

> _Mama-tron3000, Yesterday, 9:53 PM: AURORA ALYA CORDERO, YOU HAVE BEEN GONE_ **_ALL DAY_ ** _AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS “DONT WAIT UP”????_

Ohh, boy.. This was not going to be fun. She scrolled down to the next few messages: 

> _Mama-tron3000, Yesterday, 9:55 PM:_ _WHERE AR3 YOU?? I CALLED YOUR FRIENDS!! YOU ARE NOT THERE!! ANSWER ME!!_
> 
> _Mama-tron3000, Yesterday, 10:01 PM:_ _AURORA? ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DONT ANSWER ME, YOU ARE GROUNDED!!_

Oof.. this was _not_ what she wanted to wake up to. Well, might as well suck it up and face the raging beast that was her mother. It’d only get worse for her if she didn’t. 

> _♡Aurora♡_ , _7:41 AM:_ _morning, mom. sorry for the late reply. I fell asleep. please don’t be mad?_
> 
> _Mama-tron3000 is typing..._

_‘Oh, boy.. Here it comes. Brace yourself, ‘Rory..’_ she thought to herself as she watched the little typing icon flash on-screen. 

> _Mama-tron3000, 7:42 AM:_ _Aurora, I am BEYOND mad right now! Where are you? I checked with your friends and they have not even SEEN you! Do NOT lie to me again, young lady!_
> 
> _♡Aurora♡_ , _7:42 AM:_ _I didn’t lie, mom. I AM with friends. They’re just new friends. I’m sorry I didn’t check in sooner._
> 
> _Mama-tron3000, 7:43 AM:_ _What do mean “new” friends? Who are these new friends and why haven’t we met them?_

Eh, yeah.. _This_ was going to be tough to explain. 

> _♡Aurora♡, 7:44 AM: Well. Um. I kinda just met them? They’re from outta town. And I guess we lost track of time?_

The seconds ticked by, with no response. Uh-oh... Aurora stared at her phone screen with mounting dread as she waited for her mother’s reply. One minute. Two minutes. Thr-- 

> _Mama-tron3000 is calling..._

 Aurora flinched as her ringtone rang out shrilly in the large empty room, startlingly loud. Oh, boy.. She swiped the answer button and held the phone carefully to her ear.

“Hey, mom--”

“ _LOST TRACK OF TIME_?!” her mother screeched into her ear and Aurora winced, moving the phone away slightly.

“Mom, I can explain--” she tried to cut in, but her mother interrupted her again.

“Explain WHAT?! That you ran off to do GOD knows what with STRANGERS?! Didn’t we teach you _better_ than that?”

“MOM! Please, let me speak!” Aurora snapped in frustration, to which her mother fell silent. She sighed, shifting into a more comfortable position on the bed. “Look, mom... I’m sorry for running off and not telling you where I was going. I just got.. caught up in things and I kinda.. lost track. And they’re not strangers, mom. I promise, I’m safe.”

She heard her mother sigh on the other end and waited for the fallout.

“Fine.. Just come home. We can discuss this later with your father.” her mother replied in a tired voice.

“Ehhh.. yeah. About that..” Aurora answered, carefully, “Um. I.. _can’t_ come home right now.” she finished and winced in anticipation of her mother’s reaction.

“What? Aurora, what do you mean you “can’t come home”? Where are you?” her mother asked, worry creeping into her voice.

“Don’t freak out, mom.. I’m okay, I promise. I just.. can’t come home yet.” Aurora tried to reassure her, but she knew she had to come up with a better excuse than “I just can’t!” and she wracked her brain trying to think of something that sounded plausible.

“Why not, Aurora? What is going on with you? Just talk to me.” her mother pleaded.

“Mom.. nothing’s going on. I just.. I can’t come home right now. I.. Look, um... it was kinda last minute, but uh.. I got invited on a.. a camping trip! Yeah! And the cell service out here isn’t very reliable and um.. I can’t get a ride back until.. uh, next week?” It wasn’t the best excuse, but it would hopefully buy her time to figure this all out.

“A camping trip? Aurora, why couldn’t you just SAY that?” her mother sighed, “You had me worried! And you really should’ve called us before running off to the woods with these “new friends”. At least, check in with us whenever you get the chance. And be careful! I don’t know if I trust these “new friends” of yours, but I do trust you to make good decisions, dear. Just.. please tell me there’s no boys.”

“Um.. yeah, no boys. I’ll be careful, mom. I promise. Love you.”

“Love you, too. And don’t ever do that again, you hear me?”

“Yes, mama. Love you, bye!”

_Click._

Aurora flopped back against the pillow with a heavy sigh, thankful for that to finally be over. At least now she had an excuse for her absence and had assuaged her mother’s worries. For the moment. Now she had to figure out how to convince Lord Megatron that it would be safe for her to return home.

\-----

The Decepticon Lord, however, was in no mood to deal with the human teenager. He had spent the entire night wandering the ship restlessly, all the while struggling to keep the girl from entering his thoughts as he read through the reports. His utter _failure_ to do so had put him in a rather foul mood, and a night without recharge left him even _more_ sour. So, to avoid returning to his quarters, where the girl no doubt still resided, he had decided to visit the brig and put an end to the Starscream situation.

He stalked down the halls toward the errant Seeker's cell, leaving a trail of terrified drones in his wake. It often put the crew on edge whenever their Lord was in a sour mood, and this was no exception. When Megatron arrived at his destination, he was quick to bark an order at the two guards stationed there and, as always, they quickly complied. Opening the door for him, they bowed... or cowered. It made no difference to Megatron as he stepped into the small chamber.

On the other side of the energy barrier that split the room, the scrawny Seeker scrambled to his feet in fright, and stood at attention with trembling wings.

“M-master! I.. i-is it.. time?” he asked hesitantly.

“Indeed, Starscream,” Megatron answered shortly, and ordered the guards to deactivate the barrier. The Seeker was cuffed and quickly led out of the cell to follow behind Megatron as he escorted the traitor to his final destination.

The tyrant warlord was unnervingly silent as he led them through the ship towards the upper decks. Starscream's entire frame trembled in quiet terror as he watched his master's back. So.. this was it. His final hour, being marched to his doom. Did he dare attempt one last appeal? Or would his pleas only fall on deaf audials? His Lord did not appear to be in the best of moods, least of all, a merciful one.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before they reached the uppermost levels of the ship, and Starscream was quickly marched out toward the wind-whipped expanse of the flightdeck. When he hesitated in the threshold of the airlock, the guards at his back shoved him forward, out onto the windswept deck, then forced him to his knees behind their master. The drones were soon dismissed and he was left alone with his Lord and soon-to-be executioner.

Megatron stood, his back still turned toward the kneeling Seeker, hands clasped behind him, and carefully spoke. “Do you understand why you are here, Starscream?”

The question caught him off-guard and he hesitated before answering, “I- _Yes_.. master..”

“ _Do_ you?” Megatron pressed, turning to look back over his shoulder at him.

Starscream faltered, now uncertain.”Eh.. do I? I.. _think_ so.. but, I-I suppose I could be _wrong?”_

Megatron vented softly and rolled his optics in irritation as he turned to face the Seeker. “And just _what_ do you believe is the reason, Starscream?” he asked in a derisive tone.

Starscream chuckled nervously and answered in a small, submissive voice, “B-because, I... _betrayed you_.. master?”

“Oh, if only that were the sole reason..” Megatron sighed, “But I have tolerated your treachery far too long for _that_. Do you know _why_ I have allowed you so many chances to redeem yourself?”

“Actually..? Not really.. I always just thought I was too valuable, I suppose.” Starscream answered, honestly.

“Perhaps, Starscream, but there has always been more to it than simply your military value. Or did you never wonder why I appointed _you_ as my First Lieutenant over other, more _qualified_ , officers?”

Starscream stared up at Megatron curiously, wondering where this discussion was leading. Did he ever wonder about his promotion? Perhaps, at first... but as his ego grew, he chose not to question such good fortune and took it as a sign of his greatness! But, apparently, there was more to it?

“I.. suppose I _did_ wonder a bit, master..” he admitted, “But, what _exactly_ are you saying, my Lord?”

“Have you learned _nothing_ , Starscream? All these centuries at my side, and _still_ you do not understand?! Perhaps, I should've given up long ago..” Megatron sighed, turning away from the Seeker.

“Master..?” Starscream's curiosity was now yearning for answers from this unusual exchange. He had almost forgotten about his impending execution, but his master's behavior had pushed that concern to the back of his mind. Now, a new question rose to the surface. “Are.. Are you saying that.. you've been.. grooming me to become your successor? Your _heir?”_

It was almost too incredible to be true. Starscream had long considered himself to be the rightful heir to Megatron's throne, but to hear his master admit to such? It was.. unbelievable!

“Perhaps, I once held that hope.. but you have _continued_ to disappoint me in ways you cannot even fathom!” Megatron rumbled, “So, tell me, Starscream.. what hope is there that you might one day learn your place, and _earn_ the right to succeed me?” the warlord demanded, peering over his shoulder at the stunned Seeker with a piercing red optic.

Starscream stammered, gaping at his master in disbelief, “I-I-- Th-there's still hope! Master, please! Give me one more chance! I can change! I won't disappoint you, again! I promise! Just please let me try!”

“And why should I believe you will do any different _this_ time? You have been given _many_ chances, Starscream.. why should I give you another?” Megatron demanded.

The Seeker struggled to find an answer, but could think of nothing to convince his master that had not been said or promised a hundred times over. “I-I-- I don't-- I can't--”

“You can't give me a reason, can you? You've used them all up. A pity. Such a waste of good talent..” the warlord sighed, shaking his head in disappointment as he turned back to face his former protegé, “You just couldn't overcome that arrogance of yours, could you?” he mused, raising the barrel of his fusion cannon toward Starscream's spark. “I suppose, I shall miss you, Starscream.. or rather, your potential.” he rumbled as the weapon powered up.

The Seeker's face was a mask of numb terror as he stared into the glowing white-hot plasma charging within the barrel of his master's weapon, poised to rip his spark to shreds and boil his metal into molten slag. There was nothing more he could do, no more desperate pleas to call out, no mercy to be had. He had wasted every chance he'd been given, and this was the fate he had earned. This was what he _deserved_. He looked up at his Lord and Master's face one last time as one final plea squeaked out.

“I-I'm sorry, master... please, forgive me.”

Megatron stared back with that cold, unfeeling scowl of disappointment, but his optics narrowed imperceptibly in scrutiny, and suddenly the scowl curled up into a satisfied smirk as he chuckled softly in amusement.

“Ah.. there it is.. finally,” he purred in satisfaction, “True remorse.. just what I was looking for.” He then powered down the weapon and stepped back.

Starscream vented heavily in relief and his wings drooped limply as he stared up at Megatron in wordless shock.

“Congratulations. You’ve just earned yourself a stay of execution.” Megatron chuckled, dropping the key to his cuffs as he stepped past the stunned Seeker.

“W... wh.. wh-what?” Starscream finally managed to stammer out, as his processor struggled to restart and log this unexpected reversal.

“This is your last chance, Starscream. I suggest you do not _waste_ it, because I guarantee you _will not_ get another.” Megatron warned, turning back to observe the rattled flier. “I expect you to be back on duty by tomorrow morning. Understood?”

“Y-yes, master!” he squeaked, and scrambled to pick up the offered key with shaking digits.

Megatron smiled in satisfaction, his mood significantly improved as he stepped back inside the ship, leaving his rattled protegé to recover. Perhaps, this would be just the push the Seeker needed to finally become the leader he was always capable of being, but which he had never managed to achieve. The kind of leader that Megatron needed to carry on his legacy. It was a frail hope, but stronger now than ever.

However, with the errant Seeker now back under his mighty wing and guidance, there was little else to keep him from dealing with the issue of his human “guest”. Lord Megatron was reluctant to return to his quarters, but he could no longer avoid it. She _had_ to be dealt with. So, he finally began the long walk back.

\-----

When Megatron returned to the corridor outside his chambers, he became aware of a strange sound emanating from the room. A soft lilting sound, sweet and melodic, and unlike anything he'd ever heard before. He strained his audials to listen to the soft sound, entranced and entirely distracted from his true objective by the sweet melody... but as he entered to investigate further, the sound halted and the human girl looked up from the bed with a startled gasp.

“Ah.. my apologies, I... did not mean to.. disturb you..” he rumbled awkwardly.

“I-it's okay..” Aurora smiled back shyly, untucking her legs to sit up properly, “I was just.. waiting..”

“I see..” Megatron replied, “It is just.. I thought I’d _heard_ something..”

“Oh! Um.. That was.. _me_ ,” she answered sheepishly, turning away slightly as a pinkish hue coloured her freckled cheeks, “I was.. singing. It's a song my mom used to sing to me when I was little...” she explained, twirling her fingers bashfully through her hair.

“Ah.. well, it was quite.. _lovely_ ,” the Decepticon Lord purred, approaching the desk to settle himself into the seat, “Would you care to sing it for me?”

“O-oh! Well, I.. um, don't usually.. sing in front of people..” she mumbled, timidly. Aurora wasn't exactly a _shy person_ , but she had never had much confidence in her own singing voice. It was one of the few things that truly made her feel nervous.

“Really? What a terrible shame. I was rather hoping to hear more.. Such a beautiful voice should not be hidden away..” he rumbled sweetly.

“You.. think it's beautiful..?”

“Indeed..” he answered with an encouraging smile, “So, won’t you grace me with another taste of such auditory beauty?”

Aurora returned his smile, encouraged by the compliment. “Well.. i-if you insist.” She cleared her throat, carefully readjusted her posture, and began to softly hum. At first, the sound was frail and wavering, but as she went on and grew more confident, it levelled out into the sweet, gentle melody Lord Megatron had heard earlier. And then, she began to sing the words:

 

_“Down by the water,_

_Under the willow,_

_Sits a lone ranger,_

_Minding the willooow.._

 

_“He and his wife,_

_Once lived happily,_

_Planted a seed,_

_That grew through the reeeds..”_

 

The Decepticon Lord was once again entranced as he watched this tiny creature breathe out such pure beauty with nothing more than the sound of her small voice..

 

_“Summers and winters,_

_Through snowy Decembers,_

_Sat by the water,_

_Close to the embers,_

_Missing out the lives,_

_That they once had befo-o-ore!_

 

_“I wouldn’t leave you,_

_I would hold you,_

_When the last day comes._

_What if you need me?_

_Won’t you hold me,_

_On the last day,_

_Our last day-ay..”_

 

As he listened to her sing, to the sweet sound of her voice, he began to pay closer attention to the words. There was something familiar about them, something.. that brought to mind memories of an old friend, and days long since past.

 

_“Mr. and Mrs.,_

_Dreamed of a willow,_

_Carving their names,_

_Into their willooow.._

 

_“If he had spoken,_

_Love would return,_

_Spoken inside,_

_Too soft to be heaaard..”_

 

Megatron’s spark pulsed painfully at those words and he was once again reminded of the past, and of the things he’d lost or left behind. As beautiful as Aurora’s voice was, it did not dull the sting of the memories her song brought forth.

 

_“Summers and winters,_

_Through snowy Decembers,_

_Sat by the water,_

_Remembering embers,_

_Missing out the lives,_

_That they once had befo-o-ore!_

 

_“I wouldn’t leave you,_

_I would hold you,_

_When the last day comes._

_What if you need me?_

_Won’t you hold me,_

_On the last day,_

_Our last day...”_

 

And then she began to vocalise, and the sound was like pure bliss.

 

_“Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Ahh-ahh-ahhh-ahhh.._

 

_“Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Ahh-ahh-ahhh-ahhh.._

 

_“Somewhere the timing will all come together,_

_The mishaps will turn into sunny Decembers.._

 

_“The lovers,_

_Will be able,_

_To fiiiiind their willo-o-ow..”_

 

Her voice then became soft and melancholy, and he felt his spark flutter strangely inside his chest as she sang..

 

_“I woudn’t leave you.._

_I would hold you.._

_When the last.. day.. comes.._

 

_“I wouldn’t leave you!_

_I would hold you!_

_When the last day comes._

_What if you need me?_

_Won’t you hold me,_

_On the last day,_

_Our last day.._

 

_“Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Ahh-ahh-ahhh-ahhh.._

_"Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Oh-ah-ah-ah.._

_Ahh-ahh-ahhh-ahhh..”_

 

As her voice trailed off into the final note, and her song ended.. Megatron found himself unable to speak, his vocalizer low and staticky. Aurora looked up at him expectantly, nibbling her bottom lip in an expression of anxious curiousity.

“So.. did you like it?” she finally asked in a soft and hesitant tone.

The Decepticon Lord nodded slowly, and when he regained control of his voice, he answered:

“It was... beautiful.”

Though, it had left him with thoughts and memories that were better kept to the past. But worst of all, Megatron had begun to realize that he was becoming more than just _fond_ of the young human girl.. and that was a dangerous path, indeed.


End file.
